Where Dreams Meet Reality
by Witty Moonlight Angel
Summary: When Jesse Wilds used to be a teen she would wish upon star after star to meet Sasuke Uchiha in the living flesh. Now she realizes just how stupid of a idea that had been. Reality can be a bitter-sweet pill to swallow. A Sasuke Uchiha meets the real world story.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hey everyone. I'm back and with another story. This time involving Sasuke Uchiha from Naruto Shippuden. And yes, it's about him coming to the real world. I know, it's an over done concept, but after reading _**The Wrong Uchiha**_ , by NamineNasha, I got inspired and decided to give it a whirl. I'm borrowing the idea of a goddess playing divine intervention from _**The Wrong Uchiha**_ , but with my own take and yes, the oc is totally my own. You'll find out more about her as you read on.

Reviews, advice, and constructive criticism is always welcomed. Thank you and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sasuke or any other Naruto characters that may or may not appear throughout the fanfiction. Sasuke Uchiha belongs to Shonen Jump and Kishimoto.

Chapter One

Weirdest Night Ever

It was another rough night. Jesse Wilds tossed and turned, tossed and turned till her sheets were all bunched up and almost pulled right off the mattress. Her mind was doing its thing again. Whether she was asleep or awake, her mind was working over time. She began to wonder if she was really getting any sleep at all.

Around a quarter to four in the morning she gave up. Grumpily, she untangled herself from her sheets and hopped out of bed. She headed out into the narrow hallway cloaked in darkness and into the bathroom. The bathroom lights flashed on. Jesse waited for a moment for her eyes to adjust before rummaging through the cupboard next to the vanity. She found the dark grey case that held her glasses and took them out. She ran her glasses under some water and then dried them off. Placing them on her face, she glared into the mirror. Dark purple and blue bruises painted the delicate skin underneath her eyes. Hell, her reflection looked as tired as she felt.

She sighed and ruffled her sandy brown hair, pulling the bangs away from her face and then letting them fall back into place.

Stupid… Stupid…

She had deadlines to meet!

The first draft of the transcript she was working on was due in a month's time and she still had so much to work on. _Slithering Embrace_ was the named of the book, the second book in series she was working on. The first book, _Serpentine Summers_ , was out on shelves in stores, released eleven months ago. The series was focused on the adventures of three women- Whitney Chaste, Tina Rhinestone, and April Snow- who found their entire worlds turned upside down when the local officials of their town selected their names in a exchange that happened once every decade between the human township and a local naga tribe called the Golden Eye tribe.

The first book, _Serpentine Summers_ followed Tina Rhinestone's story and her rocky romance with a moody naga warrior named Hassan. Two hundred copies had been sold over the course of the last six months alone, which was pretty damn good considered it was her first book ever published! _Slithering Embrace_ was due to be released near Christmas time and it was now the beginning of June.

Jesse waited for the pot of coffee to be done as she moved about turning on her computer out in the dining room. Floor to ceiling length windows looked out into the trees and the winding creek beyond that bordered her little piece of paradise. The half moon could be seen hanging low in the sky, its brightness giving the sky a pale indigo color. Long dark blue, almost black shadows stretched across her backyard, the ground almost a grey-blue green in the moonlight.

Jesse didn't bother to turn on the lights as she moved about. The wheels of her rolling chair rumbled as it moved across the wooden floors. The pale lights from the small kitchen filtered in from the left side of the room, giving her enough light to work by.

Maybe if she typed down what was bothering her, she could get rib of this stupid train of thought that has been plaguing her for the last three days. Ever since she checked up on the latest chapters to be released for _Naruto_ , her mind had switched from focusing on her series to Sasuke fangirl mode. Which was a big no-no right now. She had other things that needed her attention like finishing that first rough draft.

Stupid. Stupid… Stupid! Her mind continued to chant as imagines of her anime persona and Sasuke Uchiha danced mockingly through her head.

Ever since the anime came out during her middle school years, she like every other girl out there, had fallen underneath the spell Sasuke cast. When she was a teenager she spent hours dedicated to reading and writing Sasuke fanfictions, drawing fan art, taking quizzes to see if Sasuke would tolerate her or even fall in love with her. She even wished on shooting stars from time to time for the chance to be meet the infamous last survivor of the Uchiha clan in person.

Sasuke was everything a fangirl wanted in a fictional character. Drop dead gorgeous, a dark screwed up past, a unconquerable will and always distance and cold to every female in the series. A challenge. A bad boy. The kind of guy your mother warned you about. The kind of guy you shouldn't want, but couldn't help but fall for as his story unfolded.

And just like every Naruto fan out, when the last chapters that concluded the series was released she was less than impressed. Sure the fact Naruto got together in the end with Hinata was nice, but the whole Sasuke-Sakura becoming canon got underneath her skin. Jesse was probably being biased of course. Ever since she was introduced to Sakura as one of the main characters, she hated the girl. She was supposed to be the smartest female shinobi, but oh the stupid decisions the girl would make in the midst of battles. She constantly played the damsel in distress throughout the entire series. It was enough to make the feminist inside of Jesse seethe with anger.

And oh, when Jesse read the chapter 700 and found out that Sakura had taken on the role as stay-at-home mom instead of pursuing her career as a medical ninja, that really pissed her off. For God's sake, after all the shit Sasuke had put Sakura through, she still easily forgave him and pined for him in the end! Hell she was even taking care of his child while he was off playing explorer!

The whole thing rubbed Jesse the wrong way and not just because she never liked the Sasuke-Sakura fandom and always paired Sasuke up with her own anime persona, but because it made Sakura look weak. Hell, she was supposed to be the strongest female shinobi in the world of Naruto, and yet here she was playing house wife to some son of a douche who couldn't even spend a little time at home to help raise his own kid!

Women who needed a man in their life to feel important, and stayed in bad relationship because they didn't know how to strike out on their own always irritated Jesse.

As much as she fangirled over Sasuke, he was still very much a bastard in all actuality. As a fictional character he was cool and amazing and drool worthy, but if she ever met him in life Jesse had a feeling she wouldn't be too fond of him then.

Maybe if I did meet him I would stop being so obsessed with him…Jesse smirked bitterly to herself as the thought crossed her mind.

Honestly how many times in the past **did** she wish that she could actually meet Sasuke Uchiha in the flesh? Too many to count. It was kind of pathetic. Of course, back then, she was a naive little teenager who thought if they ever met, she could get Sasuke to change for the better and fall madly in love with her. It was a stupid fantasy and now as a adult, she realize how stupid it truly was.

"My, my," a rich feminine voice echoed through the quietness of Jesse's dining room. "You've certainly become practical when it comes to love haven't you, dear?"

Jesse was in the midst of drinking from her favorite coffee mug, the one with the Lord of the Rings logo on. She nearly drop the mug as she whirled around. The coffee sloshed, almost spilling over the edges of ceramic mug. Hot droplets splattered onto her thin nightshirt. "FUCK!"

"Hello to you too, dear."

Jesse did a double take. There sitting at her cluttered dining room table, dressed in a bubble-gum pink knee-length kimono underneath a white open robe with red flower petals print on the fabric was a tiny petite Japanese looking woman. Her raven hair was pulled up by thick braids interwoven with different colored beads and held in place by a simple sakura blossom hair clip. Red eye shadow and thick kohl outline her dark eyes making them even more striking.

Jesse opened her mouth and then closed it, bewildered.

"Did I spike my coffee or something?" she asked out loud and looked down at the mug in question. Maybe it finally happened. Maybe she finally lost it.

She always did have an overactive imagination after all. As a writer imagination was important, but sometimes hers ran away into the far reaches of fantasy and drag her along with it.

"Yes, dear, there is a random Japanese woman sitting in the middle of your dining room and no, dear, you're not loosing your mind yet," the woman stated in a matter of fact tone. Jesse eyed her cautiously as she reclined in the wooden chair like she was queen of the freaking castle.

"If I'm not loosing my mind," Jesse started cautiously, carefully setting her mug on the computer desk. She absently wiped her hands on her shirt. "Just who the hell are you and how the hell did you get into my house without setting off the alarm?"

Last time she checked it was illegal to break into people's houses in the middle of the night. And here she was without anything to defend herself with, and on the furthest side of the room away from the kitchen where she could easily find something to defend herself with.

"Do not fret. I have no intention of harming you," the woman stated with a smirk of amusement. Her pitch black eyes watched Jesse's movement. "My name is Benzaiten. I' am the goddess of love."

Jesse nearly lost it. That's it. She had to be dreaming! "Say what now?"

"I am the goddess of love, dear. I am Lady Benzaiten," the woman replied idly. "And I have come to grant you, dear, a chance of a lifetime."

Jesse eyed the woman cautiously. She definitely didn't feel like she was dreaming, but dreams did mimic reality from time to time. So she decided to play along for now. She pulled out her chair and sat down. "Alright."

Might as well hear the great and powerful Japanese goddess out.

"How long have you been a fangirl of Uchiha Sasuke?"

Jesse blinked. Well, this conversation was certainly taking a turn for the interesting. She thought on it. "Well, it did come out when I was in middle school, so for years I guess."

"How would you like to meet him?"

"What?!"

"You heard me. I'm going to grant your wish," Lady Benzaiten as she called herself, declared smiling like no tomorrow.

Yep, this was definitely a dream. Jesse returned the woman's crazy grin. This was one of her more enjoyable ones and who was she to say "no" to seeing her anime crush in one of her dreams? "Are you freaking kidding me? I'd jump at the chance. At least tell me that you're going to summon him bare ass naked."

An look of concern suddenly crossed the goddess's face. She titled her head. Her eyes studying Jesse as she reclined in her wheeling chair. "Honey, you do realize that you're wide awake, right?"

Jesse blinked, startled by the question. "What do you mean? This is all a dream. I mean, what else could it be? I've never had a lucid dream before and dreams do tend to feel real during the time it's happening, so why wouldn't I agree to such an outrageous thing."

"But you're not dreaming, dear. You are wide awake," Benzaiten pointed out in disbelief.

Jesse raised an eyebrow as she grabbed for her coffee mug and took a sip. "No, I'm not. Why? Because goddesses don't exist. The chance to meet Sasuke Uchiha in the living flesh only happens in the world of fanfiction and everything feels too surreal to be real."

Benzaiten sighed in dismay. She placed her hands on her hips. "Honestly, the people in your dimension are so ignorant. It amazes me how you go about your lives believing there is nothing more to your world than what lies in front of you."

"Well, I admit reality isn't as black and white as we've been brought up to be, but things like this just don't happen. It's impossible. It only happens in the realm of dreams and that's where we are… Ow!"

Jesse flinched away when the goddess came over and gave the fat in her arm a good hard pinch. Benzaiten gave her a smug look. "Now do you believe you are dreaming?"

Jesse rubbed her arm. That might bruise hours from now if she was wide awake. And the "if" was a big "if."

"I get pinched, pricked, poked and probed in my dreams and I always wake up safely in my bed, so no. Pinching me doesn't prove anything," Jesse retorted annoyed.

Benzaiten huffed in irritation. "I swear… Sweetheart, you are about to have a very rude wake up call when I strand Sasuke here in this dimension with only you as his guide."

Jesse straightened up, her ears perking up at the goddess's choice of words. "Strand him in this dimension?"

"Yes, dear. This isn't just for your sake that I'm granting your wish," Benzaiten said angrily. Obviously Jesse had gotten underneath her skin with all her talk of this ridiculous situation being a dream. She placed her hands on her hips and glared down the human woman. "I am bringing Sasuke here to teach him a very valuable lesson about the treatment of women and love and you're going to help me."

"Oh yeah, like _**that**_ doesn't sound like a fanfiction in the making," Jesse replied in a mocking tone as she drank from her mug.

Benzaiten gave her a incredulous look. With a flick of her wrist, suddenly Jesse's mug dissolved right in her hands. Thousands grains of indigo blue and creamy chocolate sandy grains spilled out across the floor.

Jesse's jaw dropped. "HEY! I wasn't done drinking that and for God's sake that was my favorite mug!"

"You're are trying my patience, Wilds Jesse!" Benzaiten declared. Her eyes shifted from black to a stunning neon pink which glowed eerily in the dimness of the dining room.

Jesse felt a chill roll across her body, making goose bumps pop out along her bare skin. She rubbed her arms suddenly feeling more than a bit chilled. A preternatural wind moved through the air around the goddess making her hair and robes float about her.

"Wilds Jesse, I am leaving Uchiha Sasuke in your charge for the next 365 days!" Benzaiten declared, her voice booming through air. The windows rattled and loose leaf papers that Jesse had scattered across her dining room table took flight. "You have precisely a year to get him to fall in love with you and change him for the better!"

Jesse's eyes widen. "Say what?" She got to her feet as her hair fluttered around her face. Indignation filled her chest. "Hold on a second! What the hell are you talking about? Me get Sasuke Uchiha to fall in love with me?! Are you off your rocker?!"

"SILENCE!" Suddenly the tiny goddess didn't look so tiny anymore. The room seemed to stretch and grow as Benzaiten grew. Jesse's found herself having to title her head to look up as the goddess began to tower above her.

The irritation and mockery was quickly replaced by a cold spike of fear as Jesse found herself looking up at something that stepped straight out of the days of antiquity. Now that was a goddess!

"Okay, now I'm impressed," Jesse whispered, finding her voice cracking from fear.

Benzaiten's eyes glowed like two large pink Chinese lanterns, the eerie wind making her robes dance around her feet. Jesse shuddered as the wind bit at her making her have to squint and shield herself as it reeked havoc in her home.

"You have precisely one year!" Benzaiten boomed. And then suddenly the goddess exploded!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Be Careful What You Wish For!

"You have precisely one year!" Benzaiten announced, her voice thundering above Jesse's head, making her teeth rattle inside her skull.

And then, without warning the Japanese goddess of love exploded into millions of sakura petals and pinkish white smoke that hurtled down on top on Jesse. The woman screamed and threw herself to the floor as the force of Benzaiten taking her leave came crashing down, nearly flattening her in the process.

It felt like eons later when Jesse came to. The feeling of Surri's little feet walking along her back made her groan and roll over. Surri uttered a meow of protest as her owner blinked and squinted up at the ceiling, wondering how she got on the floor of her dining room.

"What a whacked out dream," Jesse uttered groggily as she pushed herself off the floor. She was in the dining room. How did she get there? Why did it feel like she got run over by a freaking train?

Her shirt felt sticky and clung to her chest. Jesse looked down confused. The entire front of her nightshirt was soaked. Her hand slipped along something wet. She looked down. There was her favorite coffee mug shattered all across the floor, the coffee spread outwards and underneath her computer desk. There was papers and notebooks scattered over the floor like a tornado had suddenly attacked her dining room. Some of the papers were stained, having soaked up the creamy brown liquid. Hell, even her chair was knocked over.

She groaned, putting her hands on her face. "What the hell? What happened?" Did she have a black out from rage or something? Last time Jesse checked, she didn't suffer from anger problems much… She never been so pissed off to the point that she went on a rampage, destroyed everything, and then black out before.

"Maybe there's a first time for everything," Jesse uttered. Surri meowed reminding her the three old Bengal was still there. She looked down at her baby kitten. "Right. You're probably hungry."

Beams of morning sunlight came through the large windows, declaring she had been out for quite some time. She was just probably stiff from sleeping on the floor, but it didn't sit well with her that she might have destroyed her dining room and not have a single recollection as why she had done it in the first place.

The feeling of something being off nagged at Jesse as she went about filling Surri's bowl with food and then leaving the hungry Bengal to gorge herself as she went about cleaning up the mess in her dining room.

She finished gathering her notebooks which filled with notes upon notes of for her naga series, plus notes on other books she'd like to write. All the papers that were damp from sitting in coffee for hours were clipped to a clothes line she suspended from side of the long room to the other. She mopped up the coffee, picked up all the bigger chunks of destroy coffee mug, sweep up the rest, and then vacuum just to be safe.

The unsettled feeling grew as time wore on. Something wasn't right. Something was wrong. Her intuition screamed at her to pay attention.

Jesse knew she could get testy at times. Hell, she knew she had a mouth, and was easily irritated, but she never ever got to the point where she blacked out from rage. She racked her head trying to think of potential family members she knew who might have history of such a thing. So far… Zero, zilch.

"Seven-o-five," Jesse muttered glancing at the clock on the stovetop. She couldn't believe she was out for that long. Her body ached like crazy as she moved further into the house towards her bedroom.

She had just stepped into her room when she noted that someone was taking up resident on her bed. Someone who had an uncanny resemblance to one Sasuke Uchiha, who was sprawled out across her bed looking like a broken doll. The guy was a wreck. His clothes were sullied and torn. Dark red streaked across his forehead and down one half of his face. Jesse felt her stomach roll over and knot painfully at the sight of his arm which hung over the edge of her bed. The arm just down dangle there in a unnatural position. Rivulets of blood ran down blacken patchy flesh and dripped onto her carpet creating an small pool of red.

Jesse staggered back, her eyes widening in horror. Her throat clenched up as her stomach fought to heave its contents upwards. She spun around and headed straight for the bathroom, her hands immediately flying to her mouth as the taste of bile touched the back of her mouth. She barely made it in time.

Jesse's body jerked violently as she expelled what little was inside her stomach into the toilet. She coughed and gagged up salvia.

What the fuck was that? What the fuck did she just see? What she going insane or something?!

Her body shuddered as she gave another heave and the another. Fuck! Fuck! What the fuck was happening to her?!

Her mind spun as she fall backwards and leaned against the cupboards doors. Tears stung the corner of her eyes as she tried to make sense of what was happening. Was she still dreaming? What was that… that thing on her bed? Was this what it was like going insane?

Her chest began hurting and her head swan. She tried to regain control of her breathing, but her mind kept screaming refusing to take in what was going on.

"F-Fuck! Fuck! Fucking fuck!" Jesse cried, her hands winding tightly around her body. Her body curled in on itself as she tried to get a hanble on the suffocating feeling of her sanity falling apart. "Sh-Shit!"

Minutes passed. Jesse's breathing slowed down as she slowly pulled herself back together. An bitter laugh came out as she forced herself to get it together. Freaking out wasn't going to solve anything.

"Shit, is…" She swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth, "Is this what it's like to go bonkers, insane? Fuck…"

She rested her head on her arms as she brought her knees up. More time passed until she was sure she'd be able to move about without fainting from hyperventilating. Slowly, very slowly she climbed to her feet.

Okay, Jesse, she started telling herself mentally. You are going to go back in there and everything is going to be fine. There will be no weird Sasuke Uchiha look alike on your bed. No freaky disgusting arm oozing blood onto your bedroom floor. Everything is going to be the way you left it this morning when you first got up.

Jesse looked herself in the mirror. "Everything is fine. It's just all apart of your whacked out imagination," she told herself out loud. The knot of sheer panic in her stomached disagreed. She swallowed that suffocating feeling, that knot, and forced herself to walk stiffly out of the bathroom and back to her room. She stopped just outside the doorway and mentally prepared herself. "Everything is fine. There's no dead guy on your bed."

Jessed opened her eyes and walked back into the room. Immediately she sprinted right back out. He was still there?!

How could that… that thing still be there?!

Jesse slammed into her kitchen counters and fumble for her phone on its charger. "Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!"

With shaky hands she dialed the one number she knew that would give her some sense of peace. She didn't care if it was only seven in the fucking morning! She needed reassurance! She needed the help of the one of the only people who was always been there for her no matter what!

An groggy voice answered on the other end. "Hello?"

"Ohthankgod!Rachael,youneedtocomeovernow!I'mgoingfuckinginsanehere!" Jesse practically screamed into the phone.

"Wha? Jesse, why are you-?" Rachael's sounded annoyed by the fact her best friend decided to wake her up so damn early in the day. "What is going on here? Why are you yelling?"

"Rachael, there is a dead guy in my room!" Jesse hissed into the phone. "A dead guy who looks actually like Sasuke Uchiha from _Naruto Shippuden_! Why else would I be freaking out?!"

"What? What? Wait a minute, there's a what in your room?" Rachael demanded into the phone, the sleep in her voice fading away, replaced by disbelief and annoyance.

"I don't how to explain this without sounding completely crazy, but you're the only person I can call who can tell me whether I've gone bonkers or not," Jesse explained in a rush of words. The panic in her chest was getting worst the more she talked about it. She felt like she couldn't breath again. She forced herself to sit down so she didn't pass out.

"Well, explain it anyways," Rachael urged.

"Fine. Fine, Here's the deal," Jesse started. She explained what she encountered in her bedroom. She even went as far as telling Rachael about the weird freaky dream she had about the goddess of love and how she woke up the next morning in her dining room with it completely trashed.

Rachael grew scary quiet on the other line by the time Jesse had finished telling the story. Somehow that didn't put Jesse at ease. Hopefully, Rachael wasn't going to call the nearest asylum and have someone come and cart her off. She knew her imagination could be potent at times. That's why she was such a good writer, but it did sometimes interfere with how she viewed reality.

"Please, Rachael. Just come over and look. I need validation here," Jesse pleaded, tears clouding her version. The fear in her chest made it hurt like hell. She hoped her best friend wouldn't call an ambulance or the police on her. "I swear I didn't kill anybody! I swear I haven't been doing any drugs, okay? Please. Please. Come over."

I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry, Jesse told herself as she waited for an answered from her best friend since forever.

"Jesse… I… Jesse, I think you should call somebody else for this. I don't think I could-," Rachael started out cautiously.

"Rachael, don't. Just don't, alright? Just come over and take a look. I'm scared! I'm freaking out right now and I need someone who isn't going to call me crazy or have me carted off to the nearest loony bin," Jesse pleaded again, her voice cracking. She swallowed the knot of fear in her throat.

An long awkward silence followed. Jesse felt her heart drop. Was Rachael really going to do this to her? Had she really gone over the deep end this time? Was Rachael now frighten of her?

"Okay," Rachael finally said. There was a grave tone in her voice. "I'll come over."

"HOLYFUCKINGSHIT!"

Rachael's scream bounced off the walls and wooden floors of the hallway after Jesse lead her to far end of her single floor ranch home to her bedroom. Rachael's reaction was pretty much the same as hers, except she didn't quite make to the toilet in time.

Jesse had to turn away as Rachael threw up all over her bathroom floor. She felt her own stomach clench uncomfortable at the sickening sounds of Rachael heaving and gagging. She was so not cleaning that up. Okay, she probably would. She was that kind of person after all and vomit shouldn't be left just sitting there.

Fast forward tens minutes later, Rachael and Jesse were sitting quietly on the dark olive green couch in the living room. An heavy apprehension clung to the air as neither friend wanted to break the silence just yet.

"Soo…" Rachael finally spoke up. She carefully looked towards Jesse, who was sitting on the other of the couch just as stiff and awkward as she was. "You found him that way?"

"Yep."

"Cosplay and all."

"Yep."

"And you have no clue how he got there."

"Pretty much."

Rachael sighed and slumped down in her spot. She stared blankly ahead. "Fuck Jesse. Just… Wow. Fuck!"

"I know. I know," Jesse agreed, her voice quiet and thick with fear. "What the hell am I gonna do, Rachael?" She looked to her friend with pleading eyes. "There's a fucking dead guy in my room and I have no freaking clue how he got there."

"I would say call the police."

"But they'll think I did it."

"Have you touched the body yet?"

"What?! No!" Jesse shrieked. "I did the exact same thing you did! I ran straight for the bathroom."

Rachael heaved an exhausted sigh and straightened up. "Well," she started quietly. "What are you going to do?"

Jesse tensed up at the question. Just what was she planning on doing with the situation she found herself in? She couldn't just leave a dead guy on her bed! He'd root and the whole place would smell up to high heaven and back! Should she call the police?

And say what exactly? "Hey, officer. This is gonna look bad, but I found a dead guy on my bed this morning and I have no fucking clue how he got there!"

Yeah like that was gonna fly.

Jesse cursed under her breath. Angry tears ran down her face as she pulled her knees up to her chest. She hugged herself and tried to beat back the bubble of panic that was still there. "Fuck. I don't fucking know. There's a dead guy on my bed. A dead guy!? How fucked up is that?"

"Very fucked up," Rachael whispered.

It took a very long time of talking and major decision making before Rachael and Jesse knew what to do with the dead guy on Jesse's bed. They were going to dig a swallow grave for the guy out in the woods behind Jesse's house and bury him there. And then they were to never speak of this weird-ass experience again.

"I'll go grab the shovel and a garbage bag," Rachael muttered numbly before heading out the back door in the pantry. She had been over to Jesse's house enough times to know where everything was kept in the garage.

Jesse had been renting the ranch styled house for a total of seven months now. It was owned by her next door neighbors further up the road, who were old friends of the family.

John and Coral Manson were the same age as Jesse's parents, and John had gone to school with Jesse's dad, and graduated in the same class.

Jesse looked forlornly down the hall towards her bedroom. Why kind of sick joke was this? What did she ever do to deserve this?

"And just what do you think you're doing?" An peeved voice demanded. Jesse's heart stopped for a second. An wave of fear rushed over her as she whirled around.

There standing behind her was the exact same woman from her dream last night!

Jesse took a step back, putting place between her and the goddess with the annoyed look on her face. "H-How?! Y-you were…."

"Just a dream, dear?" Benzaiten demanded exasperated. Her hips were cocked to the left while her hands placed on them akimbo. She narrowed her eyes at the woman. "Honestly, you lot. Did you even think to check his pulse before assuming he was dead?"

Jesse's felt a spark of anger pierce through the thick feeling of panic. "So you were…" The fear vanished completely. She got right in the shorter woman's face. "Just the what hell were you thinking?! You can't go dumping dead people in someone else's house? I don't know what you're fucking problem is, but take that corpse off-mph!"

Suddenly Jesse didn't have a mouth anymore. It was just gone! Bewildered, she jerked back and touched the space where her mouth use to be. Smooth uninterrupted skin now went from her nose to her chin. She looked at the Japanese goddess, horror filling her along with a deep desire to kick her fucking ass to Timbuktu and back.

Benzaiten heaved a sigh of dismay and tsked. "You need to watch your tongue when addressing an goddess, my dear sweet human girl." She huffed. "And the boy isn't dead. He's badly injured, the twit, but still very much alive. Although, now that I think on it. Maybe I should do you an favor and fix him up a bit to save some of the trouble of you having to take him to your human healers."

Jesse watched incredulously as the tiny goddess moved towards her bedroom, muttering to herself about how ungrateful mortals tend to be. Jesse felt tears gather in the corner of her eyes as she felt the space where her mouth use to be.

This wasn't happening. This can't be happening! Whose idea of a sick twisted joke was this? What the hell did she do to deserve this?!

"You did nothing, my dear. Just be your crazy self, but honestly, you 'shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth' as you humans tend to say," Benzaiten said interrupting her thoughts.

Since when had she followed the Japanese goddess into her bedroom? She looked about puzzled on how she got there, but realized in her state she probably just followed the woman because she was an intruder in her home, and she didn't trust her at all.

Jesse felt the same uncomfortable knot form in the top of her throat making it hard to swallow as she tried her best not to look at the body on her bed. She told herself this was all a really bad dream, that soon she would hopefully wake up from and her life would be back to normal and there would be no crazy-ass Japanese goddesses pestering her, and no Sasuke-look-alike on her bed.

Benzaiten must have heard that particular train of thought because she turned to glare at the girl. "Honestly, child. You are in denial," she said with a scowl. She gestured to the bed. "The evidence is right in front of your eyes. Use them. I know for a fact you are a very down-to-earth little thing, so use that head."

Jesse wanted to protest. She really want to protest. She wanted to kick and scream and tell the goddess to go to fucking hell. She did not, absolutely did not, need this in her life right now!

"Actually, dear, you do," Benzaiten said once again interrupted Jesse's inner whining. Jesse gave the goddess a look. A very freaked out look.

How the hell was she doing that?!

"Very simple, dear," Benzaiten stated as she leaned over to examine the body. Okay, Sasuke's body. She picked up the ruined arm gently. She turned stretched it out fully and held her free hand over it. Her hand began glowing a soft pastel green as she slowly moved it over the arm. The black patches began to shift in color until nothing but pale perfectly healthy skin remained. "I live on a higher plain of existence from you humans and because my kind is more highly evolved we use a higher percentage of our brains. Close to 70 percent in fact, so eavesdropping on lower plain thoughts is very easy."

That would definitely explain a few things, Jesse thought as she moved in close to watch the goddess work her magic. Maybe I should stay on her better side for now. I don't need anything else missing. Like an arm or foot or an spleen.

"Jesse! I got the shovel and garbage bag!" Rachael called from the kitchen. "Jesse?"

"We're in here, dear," Benzaiten answered for her. Jesse gave the goddess a look that clearly stated she didn't like having someone else answer for her. Benzaiten smiled innocently and gave her hand a quick whirl.

"Jesse is that you? That certainly don't sound like it. Is someone else here?" Rachael was standing just outside Jesse's bedroom door. She was very hesitant to come back in and see the body lying on her best friend's bed.

Suddenly Jesse had a mouth again. "Ah-!" She made a startled noise at the feeling of her mouth growing back into place. It was such a weird sensation, almost like a combination of peeling dead skin off a sunburn and squeezing your body fat. She touched her mouth in relief.

"Yeah…. Yeah," she said eying Benzaiten as she busied about running her glowing green hand up the rest of the length of the arm till it was perfectly whole again.

"Rachael," she started cautiously. "You might want to come in here."

"I'm good. I'll stay out here… I think," Rachael answered quickly. Fear and nauseous lingered in her voice.

"Come on, dear. Don't be shy. The big bad boy-man isn't going to harm you," Benzaiten called over to the door.

"Uh… Jesse?"

"Come and meet the goddess of love, Rachael," Jesse replied dryly.

"Who?" Rachael poked her head in unable to resist. Her eyes instantly widened. "Uh…"

"Benzaiten, dear. I am the goddess of love and romance. I watch over everything involving romance, whether its puppy-love, unrequited love, eternal love or whatever the flavor that love tends to take,' Benzaiten explained in a sing-song voice. She scrunched up her nose. "Unfortunately, sometimes though, I will come across an individual who knows nothing of love, and only knows hatred, suffocating hatred. Such a life shouldn't exist."

An awkward quiet filled the room as Rachael and Jesse looked back at the Japanese goddess. Her words lingered in the air.

Jesse shifted uncomfortably, sensing where the goddess was going with her statement. She looked to the beat-up body on the bed. The open wounds that once adorned the Sasuke-look-alike's body was vanishing till they were little pink scares which looked like they had been there for years.

Benzaiten turned away from her work and gave Jesse a leveled look. "Wilds Jesse, I am charging you with the care of Uchiha Sasuke. I have taken him away from all he has ever known and banished him to this world till he learns what it means to truly love. He is lost in the darkness and needs a person who understands what love is to guide him back into the light. I have deem you appropriate for the job. You know what love is. You understand it more deeply than most. It reflects in your writing and how you live your life."

Jesse shivered under the weight of the charge Benzaiten was placing on her shoulders. She wrapped her arms around herself and glanced at the unconscious person behind her. Was this really happening?

She glanced at Rachael who looked completely lost as to what Benzaiten was getting at. Rachael returned Jesse's gaze and mouthed, "What is she talking about?"

"I know this a heavy burden to take on your own," Benzaiten acknowledged. "But I know of the strength inside your soul. You will be able to handle this task. I believe you are the right woman for the job. You will show Uchiha Sasuke what it means to love. To live a life free of hatred and sorrow."

Jesse uttered a shaky laugh. "You're kidding right? Me? You're leaving him in my care?" She looked over to Sasuke. That was really him then. That the _real_ Sasuke Uchiha. In flesh and blood, lying unconscious on her bed?!

She shook her head. "But this will create a paradox in his world if he stays here. Won't this effect the out come of what should happen? I mean, if I understand what you're telling me… That guy on my bed… He's the real McCoy. He's the Sasuke Uchiha from the manga series, _Naruto_! I mean, the manga just ended. We all know what's going to happen, so does that mean that the ending Kishimoto wrote is false then?"

Benzaiten snorted. "Kishimoto…. Girl, the storyline may follow true events that happened in his world, but it is up to the individual to decide what path they will take in life. I have seen how he treats women in his world and I have seen the future that could have taken place if he continued on his current path. The ending presented here in this world is propaganda, a fool's wishful thinking."

Jesse gave Benzaiten a look of surprise. "So he wouldn't become good then after the final battle between him and Naruto? But… in the manga it's in hours after their final attacks collide and they loose both of their arms that Naruto finally gets to him."

"Child, please. Sasuke may have gain a new respect for Naruto, but his belief that a hokage is someone who must surround himself in the shadows and shoulders the hatred of all just to keep peace in the shinobi world would persist. So no, he won't turn a new leaf over just because he has a new found respect for Naruto and his foolhardy attempts at continuing on his friendship with him. He would not woo Sakura and marry her because he finally returned to his old self and have a child with her. He would continue his quest."

Benzaiten shook her head. "He thinks he alone can carry that burden. He still believes he is better off alone and isolated. That he alone can become a _**true hokage**_. That is why I have chosen to intervene. It's time he reopen his eyes and relearn what it feels like to know love."

Rachael spoke up. "Hold on a second. Are you telling us that guy on the bed is really Sasuke Uchiha? Like from _Naruto_? But that's impossible! And you're leaving him in Jesse's care?"

Jesse scowled. "That's awful lot of responsibility to leave on one person's shoulders. I mean, what if I fail? What if he tries to kill me as soon as he wakes up? He's volatile!"

Benzaiten smirked. "Do not take me as a fool, Wilds Jesse. I know exactly what I'm doing. I have sealed away all of his jutsu, along with his family trait, the sharigan." She looked very proud of her accomplishment. "He is as powerless as a ordinary man now."

"That still doesn't mean he can't strangle me or stab me with a fucking knife!"

"Do not fret. If he were to attempt such a thing, he would end up destroying himself as well."

Rachael spoke up. "What? This is making no sense. Jesse, what the freak is going on?"

Jesse raised an eyebrow intrigued. "What do you mean?"

Benzaiten continued on, ignoring Rachael's frantic questioning. "I made sure to cover all the bases. I have tied his life to yours."

"Say what now?"

"Your life and his life is tied together. If Sasuke tries to hurt you, he will also hurt himself." Benzaiten looked at the unconscious Uchiha. "You'll be metaphysically connected. Of course, it takes time for such a bond to manifest fully, but in time you'll understand the extend to which you two are tied together."

"Wait a minute," Jesse started. "This sounds an awful lot like Anita Blake stuff. So we'll be like soul mates… Like true soul mates!"

"What?!" Rachael exclaimed. "But that's… That's… Impossible."

Jesse groaned and brought up her hands to run her fingers through her hair in exasperation. "This is going way beyond anything that has ever been done in fanfictions or at least that I've read. This is crazy!"

"Don't try to think too much on it, dear," Benzaiten said beaming. "You'll end up just chasing your tail over and over again. Just have faith in what I have planned for you both. And yes, it will be like you and Sasuke are soul mates, but not in a romantic way. Although there will be plenty of time for that to develop as you get to know each other for the next year."

Jesse was blown away. Her mind was trying its best to wrap itself around what was happening, but failing. She wanted this all to be a dream, but here she was… Her and Rachael playing witnesses to something that was beyond their normal scope of life. It was too much. Just too much to handle all at once!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Well, Hello There

Jesse was brought out of her stupor by the phone ringing. Startled, she fumbled the phone as she picked it up off the receiver. "H-Hello, Doctor Manson's office. How can I help you?"

"Hi, my name is Sheryl Muller. I need to make an appointment for my husband," the woman said on the other line.

Jesse swiveled in her chair towards the computer screen and clicked on the "new tab" button at the top of the screen. She brought up the scheduling spread sheet for this week's available appointments. "Preferred day?"

"It has to be anytime after noon. I work the night shift. But any time during the day would be fine," the woman called Sheryl replied. The woman had a very rough voice. Someone was obviously a chain smoker or at least smoked heavily in her younger days.

Jesse's eyes scrolled across the page. "We have a opening this Thursday at one," she stated.

"Sounds good."

"Alright, Mrs. Muller. And what is your husband name?" Jesse said clicking on the one o'clock spot for Thursday.

"Paul."

"Alright, so Paul will have a appointment on June 8, Thursday at one o'clock."

"Alright. See you then."

"Have a good day, Mrs. Muller," Jesse said politely before hanging up. She sighed and ruffled her hair in annoyance. It had been two days since her world had been turned upside down.

Two days and Sasuke still hasn't woken up yet, Jesse thought with a huff as she absently shuffled through loose leaf paperwork. Was he ever going to wake up? Well, the condition he arrived in would explain his comatose state.

Apparently, Benzaiten had kidnapped Sasuke right after he and Naruto had duked it out in their final battle and were left barely alive after their finishing attacks collided.

Naruto is gonna have an conniption fit once he comes to and realizes Sasuke have once again disappeared on him. The poor guy never gets a break, Jesse thought. She felt a hint of sympathy for Naruto and his endless struggle to bring Sasuke home after he deserted the village to start out on his quest to achieve vengeance for what was done to his clan.

An sharp wrap on the window above her head brought Jesse back to the world of reality. She turned as an man who was in his sixties stood at the window. His rough full beard graced his broad shoulders. He had finished filling out the paperwork.

She got up and pulled the sliding glass window back. "Finished Bryan?" Jesse asked. The man was a regular. He had congestive heart failure and saw Doctor Manson at least once a month.

"Yep. Nice weather we're having today," Bryan stated as she went above bringing up the information on his health insurance. "I plan on taking the misses out for a ride after I'm done here."

"Ah, that's nice," Jesse said as she took out the paper for him to sign stating he paid his insurance co-pay. "Anywhere special?"

"Nah. Just out and about," Bryan replied.

"Alright, your co-pay is going to be twenty-five. Cash or check?"

"Cash. You know I don't do checks. A waste of time if you ask me."

Jesse chuckled. "Of course."

Bryan handed her the money and she put it in the register below the desk and gave him a receipt. The window slid close and Jesse went about flipping one of the folders closed.

"You seen awfully distracted today," Caroline remarked. Caroline Foster graduated two years ahead of Jesse's class. Hell, she even had been on the same track-and-field team as her when they were in high school.

Caroline was no longer the slim athletic teenage girl with the bouncy ponytail Jesse remembered from their high school days. She had gained weight, a lot of weight. Most of it was from having two kids though.

Jesse couldn't get over the fact she was working with someone she knew, if barely, from her high school days. Caroline was three years older than Jesse. She was married to a guy who had gone to Celeborn High and had two pretty little blonde haired girls. One was two and the other was eleven months old.

"Yeah, well, it was one heck of a weekend," Jesse admitted, busying herself so she didn't think too much on the fact she had an unconscious anime character at home in the guest bedroom.

After Benzaiten explained what her plan was, Jesse decided it would be best if she gave Sasuke the spare guest room kiddy corner to hers. The ranch style house she was renting came with three bedrooms, one bath, and a finished basement. It was a lot of spare room for a single young woman of twenty-three and really she didn't need all that space, but it was out in the country, away from town, and it was very close to where her parents lived.

Of course there was a advantage to having all of that spare room. When her friends came over for Friday Movie Night, they had somewhere to crash.

"So I take it you met someone then?" Caroline inquired with a grin. Caroline had been there at Doctor's Manson office since Jesse started two years ago. So it was safe to say by now she knew exactly how nonexistence Jesse's dating life was at the moment. "So was it through some online dating site or did you meet him at a bar or somewhere?

"You know I don't go out drinking," Jesse pointed out promptly. She didn't like the idea of driving intoxicated. "And no, I didn't meet someone. Let's just say my life just got loaded up with more crap than I'm willing to hanble."

"Your editor breathing down your neck again?"

"No. Nothing like that…." How was she going to explain away why she suddenly had a new roommate? Word would eventually get out. She definitely couldn't hide Sasuke from John and Coral. They stopped by at least twice a month. One, to collect rent, and two, to see how she was doing and see if she wanted to join them for brunch or dinner sometime. And what about her folks? How was she going to explain this one to her parents?!

Jesse's stomach twisted uncomfortably as she stepped through the back door. It was around 5:30. She worked the nine to five shift like a lot of people, but unlike a lot of people, she now had one hell of a dilemma on her hands.

"Surri baby. Momma's home! Surri want her afternoon nummies?" Jesse called into the house as she went about her late afternoon ritual of unpacking her lunch bag and rinsing out her coffee mug.

Right on cue, her little jungle cat trotted into the kitchen and rubbed her spotted body against her owner's legs.

"Baby-cakes," Jesse cooed as she dried off her hands. She picked up Surri and planted couple of kisses on her little forehead. Surri ate up the affection and let out a few meows. "I know. I know. I gotta feed ya. Come on. Let's get ya some food."

Surri meowed excitedly as Jesse went about pulling out the cat food and filling the porcelain baby-blue bowl. She placed it on the little place mat set out just for that purpose and then went about washing out Surri's water dish. She changed her water every day to keep it clean or else her little kitten would decide to drink from the toilet. And Jesse did not want to kiss Surri when she had toilet breath.

The sound of movement out towards the hallway made Jesse pause. She turned her head towards the arch doorway that lead into the hallway that connected the living room and then lead towards the bedrooms. Did she just here something?

Quiet as possible she shut off the faucet and carefully set down the freshly filled dish of water. It seemed Surri also heard something because she stopped eating and perked up. She slinked towards the living room and disappeared around the corner.

Jesse felt a thick knot of fear tie itself in the pit of her stomach. Crap! Was he finally awake?

She had been mentally preparing herself for the last two days when the moment arrived where she finally got to meet Sasuke Uchiha in person wide awake and probably cranky as hell. She felt the urge to run in the opposite direction.

Swallowing, Jesse made herself count to ten before setting off out of the kitchen.

It's going to be okay. It's going to okay. It's not like he's woken in stranger situations, right? Like when Obito kidnapped him after his battle with Itachi and tied up him before he woke up, Jesse thought anxiously. At least he wasn't tied up this time, but maybe that wasn't such a good thing.

I hope he doesn't try to hold knife to my throat like in all the fanfictions.

Jesse tried to calm her panicking heart and keep her breathing even as possible. She needed to act like a good host and try her best to explain their crazy situation without pissing Sasuke off too much.

She heard the sound of someone one stumbling and then cursing. She stopped at the closed door that lead into the guestroom. The sounds behind the door stopped too. Jesse knew that Sasuke knew someone was there.

Stealing herself, she raised her fists and knocked.

At first there was just silence, then a muffled, "Who the hell is it?"

Jesse sighed in dismay. Might as well get this over with. She turned the doorknob and opened the door to the sight of Sasuke struggling to keep himself standing, leaning against the dresser across the room from her.

"Good to see you're awake, Sleeping Beauty," Jesse started. Wow, what a sarcastic remark she just made. Good first impression, Jesse.

Sasuke wasn't impressed. His hold on the edge of the dresser tightened. "Who the hell are you? Where the hell am I?"

"Nice to meet you too," Jesse replied curtly. His glaring eyes intensified. She shivered under that look. He was dangerous. Really dangerous. She kept her distance. "Getting all snippy isn't going to make your situation easier."

Sasuke might be in a weakened state, but he was still very much a ninja and he was still very much as lethal as he was at his full strength.

An tension filled the room as the two stared each other down. Neither of them wanted to be in this situation. Jesse was going through all the ways of starting off how to explain the prosperousness of how Sasuke ended up in her life. All of it sounded way too far-fetched in her opinion, but knowing the world Sasuke came from he would probably take it better than most people. Maybe….

"Well, mind explaining what's going on?" Sasuke demanded angrily, destroying the quiet stand-off. His eyes studied her carefully. He was getting impatient.

Jesse took in a deep breath to steel herself and slowly let it off. "You might want to sit down for this, Sasuke. It's a bit of a dozy. Especially in your condition."

Sasuke looked at her. His black eyes narrowed in thought. "You know who I am," he stated. He didn't sound quite as surprised as she thought he would be. "Are you with Orochimaru? Is this his doing?"

Really? He thought she might be working with Orochimaru?!

"Has the infinite tsukuyomi been released?" Sasuke persisted. His eyes darted off from side to side as he examined the room.

There wasn't much to look at really. An large queen size bed was pushed up against the wall right next to the doorway. The dresser Sasuke was clinging to was pressed up against the far left corner of the room near one of the windows that looked out towards the road. Near it was sliding wooden doors that lead into a closet.

"What?!" Jesse looked at him with raised eyebrows. If she remembered correctly, it was only after Sasuke came to terms with the fact he lost to Naruto that the infinite whatever you call it was over with. Did that crazy goddess take him before that could happen?!

"Well?" Sasuke sounded annoyed as Jesse lapsed into thought again.

Jesse sighed and gestured towards the bed again. "Like I said," she started cautiously and straightened up to her full height. God why did she only have to be five foot one? She probably didn't look intimidating or even a challenge at all… Not that she wanted to be. "You better sit down. You're… You're not going to like what I'm about to say. And I really don't need you fainting on me in mid-explanation, okay?"

Sasuke gave Jesse a long hard look. Like he was debating on whether to do what she asked or not. "Fine."

Jesse wasn't sure whether she go over to help him out or not. She was torn between running for the nearest exit or not.

"I'm going to need help."

Sasuke's statement made Jesse jump. She stiffened. He was asking for help?! That didn't sound like something Sasuke Uchiha would ask for?

This isn't happening. This isn't happening. Oh my lord! It is happening!

Her inner thoughts shrieked in both fear and excitement as Jesse crossed the room. Gingerly, she touched his arm. She felt the muscles in his arm flex.

Oh shit! Shit! This is happening! I'm touching him! I'm touching Sasuke fucking Uchiha! Ohmygod! Don't freak! Don't freak!

Jesse tried to keep on a decent poker face as she felt her ears heat up. She tried to be as gentle as possible as she slung his arm around her shoulder and helped him hobble over to the bedside. The silver white sheets were all over the place, halfway spilling off the bed.

Sasuke eased himself back onto the bed and sat there. He looked at Jesse, who tried her darnest not to go all fangirl on him.

She knew her face was red at that moment when she noticed him smirk in amusement. She quickly straightened up and gave him some space. More like she needed the space more than anything. Her mind was throwing a fucking fit. She was torn between screaming and jumping up and down for joy that she actually got to touch her all favorite anime crush, and cursing Benzaiten for putting her in this ridiculous situation.

She could see Sasuke was growing impatient as she tried to reign in all her emotions and mentally decide on how she should feel about this whole thing. She held up a hand before he could make a remark. "Give a girl a second here, Uchiha."

When Jesse felt she could finally speak without sounding too flustered, she grabbed a fold out chair hidden from within the closet and opened it, so she could sit down too. She smoothed out her khakis, nervously. She started with the unexpected late night visit where the Japanese goddess of love first decided to poof herself into her dining room and went from there. She tried to keep it simple and edited out the part about the whole "getting Sasuke to fall in love with her by the time a year goes by."

When it came to explaining how his life, Naruto's life, and everyone he knew back in his world was nothing more than a cartoon and comic book here Jesse took out her phone, and showed him several different websites that had everything from fan art to screenshots to short little videos taken from the anime. Sasuke shakily took the phone from Jesse when she brought up the actually manga, one of the many free online manga sites.

"H-How? Everything I've fought for. Everything I've lived through…" Sasuke's voice shook with unspoken confusion and rage. An shaky bitter laugh escaped. "Hahaha. So everything? It's all made up. I don't exist? My mother, my father? Itachi? Konoha? The academy? None of it ever existed? We're all just a figment of some damn fucker's imagination?!"

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," Jesse started as she slowly stood up as not to spook him.

Sasuke looked like him might fall apart at any moment. He was shaking. An crazed look in his eye. Was he going to go berserk?

"None of it was real? Not my life? Not anything?! We aren't real!" Sasuke cried as he started to laugh. He was becoming unhinged. Jesse could see the last grips of reality, his sanity, seeping away.

Shit! What was she supposed to do now? He might try to attack her in his insanity! Insanity made you unpredictable, unreasonable!

"It's gotta be true!" Sasuke declared. "You just showed me everything! Itachi was never real! I'm not real!"

Do something! Jesse's inner voice screamed at her. He's falling apart.

So she did.

An sharp slap echoed through the air. Of course, just as the goddess promised, Jesse felt her own head snap back from a force that mirrored the same force she used in slapping Sasuke across the face.

She held her sore cheek stunned as she started down at Sasuke who suddenly became scary quiet. The unnerving laughter gone.

Panting, Jesse gathered her courage and said very, very carefully, "Sasuke, _**you**_ are real. Everything you went through _**was**_ real. Your parents. Your clan. Itachi. They were all real. Just because…" She swallowed as she felt Sasuke's gaze turn towards her with a sort of shocked and yet menacing look on his face. "Just because your life, Naruto's life is an anime, an cartoon in this world doesn't make it any less real. Ideas, inspiration, things writers and artists come up with have to come from somewhere, right? Well, maybe there's something, some ultimate divinity that lets an artist like Kishimoto see events that take place in your world or other worlds and by using that he's able to create a story from it in this one."

An unsettling silence engulfed the room. Jesse's cheek stung fiercely. Guess, she didn't know her own strength. Her cheek might actually bruise. The same angry red mark was mirror on Sasuke's face.

His eyes narrowed at her. Something dark and dangerous shone brightly in them. "How can you be so damn sure?"

Jesse let her hand drop. She dropped back in the chair with a huff. "I'm not, but that's the only explanation I can come up with right now, alright?"

Another silence stretched out between them. Sasuke was analyzing Jesse's face as she ran her hands through her hair messing it up before running her fingers through the sandy brown locks straightening them back out again.

"I'm gonna hear that laugh in my sleep now, thank you very much," Jesse uttered finally. She shot Sasuke a look.

And for some reason, some stupid reason he found it funny and he started laughing again. This time, though, Jesse joined in. They laughed hard and long. They laughed at the stupidity of it all. At the sheer absurdity of it all. Nothing was making sense and in moments like that you either cry or you laugh. Sometimes, even both.

They both sounded unhinged, bitter, and tired. What a stupid situation they found themselves in.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Sasuke Uchiha. He belongs to Kishimoto and the manga/anime of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. I am simply borrowing him for my own twisted amusement.

Reviews, advice, and constructive criticism are always welcomed. Thank you and enjoy.

Chapter Four

Getting Cozy

"Here," Jesse said. She had rummage through one of the coat closets in the hallway and found an fold-up tv-tray. She brought in a bowl of cream n' mushroom soup and a bottle of water for him along with oyster crackers. She wasn't sure he was ready for solids yet. She didn't need him vomiting all over the place.

Sasuke merely looked at the offered meal. "What is this?"

"Dinner. You've been out for two days if not longer. I don't think you're ready for solids yet," Jesse muttered. Here, she was serving the Sasuke Uchiha food, her food, in her own home. And he was going to be a guest for the next 360 something days! Holy shit!

Sasuke looked down at the food the woman served him. Unidentifiable grey chunks floated in discolored milky liquid. There was also strange looking crackers. This was her idea of dinner?

"Look, it's all I think you can hanble, okay?" Jesse explained, her voice holding an edge to it.

Sasuke looked at the woman. She had changed clothes, going for something looser more comfortable. Unbeknownst to the woman, he couldn't help but admire on some level the fullness of her figure. She was heaver than a lot of girls he'd seen back in his world. Fuller around the hips, thighs, and definitely the breasts. Her hair was a light shade of brown, almost blonde but not quite and pulled into a messy ponytail. Her eyes were a unique color too. Almost brown, but green at the same time.

So far from what he gathered, this was a guest bedroom he was staying in and the household belonged to her. Well, sort of. She was renting, she said, from a older couple who had ties with her parents.

She was twenty-three and had a cat named Surri. Said cat at the moment was actually sleeping pressed up against his side.

Sasuke didn't mind it. He always thought cats were easier companions than dogs. He picked up the spoon as Jesse repeated what the soup was called.

"It's cream n' mushroom soup," she explained.

He tried some. It tasted weird. Bland.

He glanced at the woman again. He didn't care for the situation he found himself in. The idea that some almighty goddess he never heard of, thought she had the authority to interfere in his affairs was idiotic. If she thought by stranding him in this bizarre place, with some woman for a year was going to change him she was dead wrong.

He studied Jesse.

From the way she made it sound in her attempt to explain their situation, she was pretty much forced into this whole arrangement as well. If he was supposed to change for the better, what did she get out of the deal? Why did that stupid ass goddess choose her?

"What do you get out of this?" he inquired.

Jesse stopped as she headed out the door. "What?"

"What do you get out of this? Of my being here?"

Jesse turned away quickly. She was acting like she was hiding something. She shrugged. "Beats me. Maybe that damn woman thinks I need some male company in my life." She frowned. "I dunno."

"Like what? A boyfriend?" Sasuke felt outraged inside his chest. If that crazy fucked-up goddess thought she could distract him from his ultimate goal of becoming a true hockage by presenting a woman to him, she was about to get a rude wake up call. He didn't make time for girls unless it was to relieve pent up sexual frustration.

Jesse's next answer surprised him. "God, I hope not." She turned to look at him.  
"No offense, but you're definitely **not** boyfriend material."

He wasn't boyfriend material? He didn't think he would ever hear a girl say that to him of all people. It seemed like every damn girl around him was pining after him. He really didn't know what to make of it. What did she mean by that?

Next morning came early for Jesse. She awoke not to her alarm clock but the sound of Surri knocking over a tower of sketchbooks onto the floor. She groaned, rolling over. Sunlight peeked through the spaces between the blinds. She grabbed her phone and checked the time.

Six o'clock. She wasn't supposed to get up for another thirty minutes.

Thunk.

Crash.

There went a stack of books she had piled on one of shelves on her bookcase and by the sounds of it, most of the shelf. Jesse sat up to glare at Surri who decided at that moment to be cute and rub the side of her face against the bookcase and then rub her entire body along it.

"You are sooo lucky you're so damn cute," Jesse told the Bengal with fake malice. She groaned and flopped back down. Thirty more minutes… That's all she wanted.

She felt the bed bounce as Surri landed on the end of it. Surri made a low mewing purr and walked along Jesse's legs till she sat on her stomach. She meowed loudly trying to get her attention.

When that didn't work, Surri pounced on Jesse's head sinking her little claws and teeth into her skull.

"Yow!" Jesse's cry of indignation rang through the room and sent the Bengal scurrying. "Alright! Alright! I'm up!"

The smell of coffee permeated the kitchen as the coffee maker hissed and gurgled filling up the glass pot. Jesse yawned and stretched her body. Her skimpy nightshirt rising over her soft belly.

Surri was chewing enthusiastically on her food like she hadn't been feed for over a hundred years. Jesse just gave her a look.

"God, you would think I never feed you," she grumbled. She went above popping half a bagel into the toaster and getting out the nutella, along with a tiny carton of blueberries. "Ah. The breakfast of champions."

She shuffled into the living room and picked up the remote off the coffee table and turned on the tv. She checked the weather to see what day was going to be like. The sound of a door opening caught her attention as the weather man announced began announced what to except for the next four days.

Jesse turned to see Sasuke carefully navigate his way into the living room. Even sleep ridden and groggy, he looked gorgeous. She huffed. It wasn't fair. She was anything, but beautiful in the morning.

"Morning, sunshine," she greeted the tired rogue ninja with a crooked grin.

"Will you keep it down, I was trying to sleep," he snapped. Somebody wasn't a morning person.

"Well, excuse me. The kitty-cat alarm clock wouldn't let me sleep anymore," Jesse shot back. You gotta love cats. When they think it's time to get up, it's time to get up.

Sasuke looked at the woman like she grew two heads. What the hell was she blabbering about? Her lingo didn't make a lick of sense to his sleep clouded mind.

"Surri wanted food," Jesse clarified.

Sasuke noticed one of two things then. One, she wasn't wearing anything besides short t-shirt that stopped around her hips and two, her panties on full display for him to see.

Great, maybe this one was like Karin. She did realize she was only in a night-shirt and panties, right?

"Put some clothes on," he said in annoyance as he used the wall as a support to turn around. Great, another bipolar bitch.

Jesse blinked and then looked down. "Whoops." He heard her snort. "Whatever. It's not like you haven't seen women dressed in less, right?"

Sasuke stopped. Was she trying to seduce him? Stupid girl. It was going to take more than that. She was all talked he deduced. Another one who liked to play hard to get when in reality she wanted him like the rest of the women he meet. "It's going to take more than that."

"Sorry? What?"

"You heard me. Put some clothes on. Walking around in your underwear isn't doing a thing for me."

Jesse snickered. "So you're telling me you're gay right? You rather see Naruto all naked and wanting than a woman?"

That made him stop. Naruto? The idea of that idiot naked and presented for him, made Sasuke's stomach churn unhappily. He was not, absolutely not attracted to men. He looked over his shoulder. "I don't think that way."

Jesse turned and walked towards what looked like a kitchen through the arched door. "So you're asexual then? That would definitely would explain a lot."

Asexual?! Sasuke's poker face slipped for a second. Was that woman daft? He had been with plenty of woman. The snake fucker liked to make sure the women servants of his little hide-outs were well trained in sex when they attended the two of them. Whores were nothing new to Sasuke.

"I am not asexual."

"Well, you're either gay or asexual, bub. Pick one," Jesse stated loudly as the sound of something beeping came from the kitchen. "Now, if you'll excuse me. My coffee is ready."

Coffee? The smell of something rich and earthy reached his nose. That was a new smell to him. He leaned up against the wall and turned slightly, catching the back view of her body as she set about out fishing through the cupboards below the countertop.

Fuck….

Jesse fished out a coffee mug. She picked an regular white one with strips of green around the edge of the mug since her favorite had been destroy. No good idiot goddess. She went about making her coffee.

An heated blush colored her face as she tried to reign in the embarrassment at being caught running around in her panties. How could she forget Sasuke was still here?

Well, maybe she didn't forget exactly.

She pulled out the coffee pot and began pouring herself a nice piping hot cup of coffee. She had hoped Sasuke was a heavy sleeper in the morning. She knew from the series, he didn't appreciate his sleep being interrupted. She had hoped she would get some private time to herself in the morning before she got ready for work.

So she pretended not to care about being caught dressed in only a nightshirt and underwear. Thank God, she wasn't one of those chicks who only wear thongs then Uchiha would really have gotten an eye full.

Hopefully he didn't see me blushing like crazy, she prayed silently. He had turned his back on me after all to go back to bed.

I should probably put on some shorts at least, Jesse decided. Hopefully, he's already gone back to bed.

Jesse finished adding some of her favorite creamer, spice hazel nut from International Delights, and a spoon of sugar and stirred. She took a sip and sighed happily. Nothing like freshly brewed coffee first thing in the morning.

She picked up her breakfast and headed into the living room to watch some early morning news. Thankfully Sasuke had gone back to bed like she had hoped.

The five day forecast looked relatively good for the week. Erie was in for the usual summer heat. Temperatures hovering around eighty something degrees with chances of thunderstorms throughout the week.

Should probably show Sasuke how to use the microwave and dishwasher and where everything is before I leave for work. Hopefully, he'll have enough strength to work his way around the house while I'm gone. Also I'm gonna have to take him shopping. He's gonna need to get measured. I'm pretty sure the sizes here are way different then back in his world.

In the last two days Jesse had the foresight to go out and buy him a couple pair of sweatpants and couple of baggy t-shirts. She had to guess at his size though so she didn't know if they were going to fit properly.

It's better if they're too big on him than too tight, Jesse thought. Hopefully he hasn't gone back to sleep just yet. Should get him up and feed him some breakfast before I write. Can't have him moving around on a empty stomach. He's gonna need his strength back after all. Won't be home till almost six.

After she finished her breakfast, she went back to her room and pulled on a pair of forest green gym shorts.

She knocked on his door. "Sasuke? You still awake?"

"What?" Came the irritated reply.

Jesse sighed. Great. Just like she thought. Cautiously, she partially opened the door a crack. "I'm going to be gone for most of the day. So… I need to show you around, so you know where things are. You up for it?"

An annoyed growl answered her. She frowned. "What are ya? A animal?"

"Fine."

She heard the covers being thrown back and a pained grunt as Sasuke climbed to his feet. Maybe she shouldn't be making him get up. He was still extremely weak from his epic battle with Naruto. Maybe she should call-in today.

The door opened fully as Jesse stepped back. Sasuke glared down at her.

"At least you some put clothes on," he stated obviously annoyed by her getting him back out of bed. Not like he _**had**_ to check out to what all the noise was when Surri dragged her out of bed in the first place.

"Gee, thanks," Jesse retorted, feeling her face blush. Note to self, always make sure to be fully dressed at all times.

She tried to keep the tour quick as possible. Pointed out every room and its purpose. Most of it didn't need explaining. She showed him the dishwasher, the microwave, how to turn on the stove, what she had in the freezer and refrigerator. She suggested he just make a sandwich for lunch because of his condition. She didn't need to come home to her house being burnt down after all. Although she doubt he would let that happened. She was his host after all.

If he dirtied any dishes he was to put them in the dishwasher. She did have trouble with ants right now.

She showed him how to turn on the tv by remote and how to pull the level on the side of the recliner so he could prop his feet. She also showed him how to use the land-line and wrote down her phone number so if he had to her contact he would know how.

She asked Sasuke what he was for up for breakfast. He said he didn't care, so Jesse decided to pop a bagel in the toaster, rummaged through her refrigerator and came up with Philadelphia vegetable cream cheese spread. She sliced up some tomatoes and served it to him.

"Well?"

Sasuke had been chewing quietly. She knew he had nothing like this in his world, so she didn't know how he would take to bagels smeared in cream cheese. He continued eating. "The bagel is too chewy."

Jesse sighed. Can't win them all, right? "Let me know when you're done." She turned and headed off into the dining room. She turned on her computer. She checked the time. She still had a small window to write.

She was gonna have to look through her notes again and reread the last three pages to remember where she left off. If she remembered correctly, she was at the scene where Lokesh, Hassan, and Charan were infiltrating one of the Red Mountain tribe's base camps around the perimeter of the Golden Eye's territory to save Whitney, the main female protagonist of book two.

"Let's see…." Jesse was in the mists of shuffling through her notes and comparing them with the typed pages.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke's inquiry scared the poor woman.

"Jesus!"

Jesse jumped in her seat. She then had to swallow the instant knot of annoyance that always followed when someone interrupted her writing. She hated people looking over her shoulder when she wrote. It had always been a big pet peeve of hers.

She counted to five and then turned. "Done?" Inwardly, she grimaced. God, that sounded bitchy.

Sasuke was studying the storyboard she had tacked up on the adjacent wall besides her desk. He gave Jesse a look. "What is all this?"

"Uh. My brainstorming?"

Sasuke just looked at her. So she was gonna have to be more specific.

"I'm a writer, Sasuke," she explained. "When I'm not working at Doctor Manson's office, I write. That." She gestured to the organized chaos. "…Is a storyboard. It's everything I have planned out for my series."

"What language it is?" Sasuke looked more closely.

"Uh… English?"

"But you speak perfect Japanese."

"No…." It dawned on Jesse that Sasuke might not realize that he's speaking her language. "That, Sasuke, is English and we are talking in English right now."

He regarded her questionably.

Naruto was dubbed in so many different languages all over the world, so Jesse just assumed the reason why Sasuke's English was so fluid was because the anime had been dubbed in English and so he inherently knew how to speak it. She didn't realize it never occurred to him that they were talking in a completely different language other than the one he'd known for all of his life.

"You don't realize you're speaking English," Jesse stated out loud. Well, this might just complicate things. It was like in that one episode in _Doctor Who_ where Clara realized that she and the Doctor was speaking Russian when the tardis dropped them off on the Russian submarine. Crap.

"Do you know what the words on the storyboard mean?" she quickly asked.

Sasuke gave her a weirded look. "No."

"Well, shit. This is just peachy. How the hell are you speaking the same language as me then? There should be a language barrier." She groaned and ran her hands through her hair.

"Wait, so I'm not speaking my birth language?" When she had first started showing him all the different websites that featuring _Naruto_ and _Naruto Shippuden_ they had watched a short clip in the original Japanese version. "If what you're saying is true, I'm speaking a completely different language then?"

"Pretty much, Sasuke. Pretty much," Jesse said and laughed breathlessly. Well, this was freaking crazy! How the hell did he know English so well, or at least how to speak it?

Benzaiten had tied their lives together supposedly. Jesse had thought it might be more of a physical bond than anything else then. Could it be because of this, this bond between them that he somehow picked up how to speak English from her?

"But then shouldn't he know how to read it too?" Jesse pondered out loud. She felt an headache coming on. "God, that crazy bitch goddess has a lot to answer for."

She slumped back in her chair. "Crap. This isn't making a lick of fucking sense." She looked hard at Sasuke. Was there limits to this bond then? "Alright then. I'm gonna have to ponder this over because my brain is totally blown away here."

"You said that bitch tied our lives together, right?" Sasuke wanted to know.

Jesse nodded. "Yep. Pretty much."

"Did she say how close together we're tied?"

"Vaguely. If you harm me it will be reflected back onto you. This was so you wouldn't try to kill me when you first came to," Jesse explained. "She said the bond would take time to manifest fully. Whatever that means, but if you and I are tied together then maybe the reason you're speaking English is because you picked it up from me."

"But then I should know how to read it too, right?"

"Supposedly." Jesse's head was starting to hurt. Onto a different subject till she could get a better grasp on what this whole "bond" thing was. She needed time to examine the context and work up a good theory. For God's sake, she was a writer and she was gonna treat this like a story concept. Roll it around inside her head, observe how this "bond" effect her every day life, and develop a theory from there. "Whatever this thing is, we don't know what it capable of till it starts evolving. Till then…."

Sasuke had pulled out a chair at the dining room table and had taken a seat because his legs were starting to become like jelly. Of course, he was too damn proud to admit it out loud.

Jesse glanced at the clock on the computer screen. "I gotta go get ready for work," she said and stood up. She saved her work and down shut her computer. "If you're gonna be up go laid down on the couch."

"You're a bossy little thing, aren't you?" Sasuke observed.

Jesse stopped collecting her notes. Her? Bossy? She thought about it. "Well, guess I am." She turned to look at him. "I'm just trying to look out for your best interests."

"I can hanble myself just fine."

"Oh, of course you can and look how swell that turns out," Jesse retorted with a eye roll.

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed at tone in her voice. "What does that mean?"

"Gee I dunno. Look at how great you handled yourself at the Hockage summit or when you found out the truth from Obito or when you tried to kill Naruto like for the what time?" Jesse pointed out with nonchalance. "You obviously know how to hanble yourself just fine."

Sasuke grabbed Jesse's wrist moving quickly. Despite his weakened condition the grip he held her in said just how strong he really was. He whirled her around to face him. His eyes burned with barely suppressed pain and hatred. "Don't you fucking dare assume a damn thing about me! You know nothing!"

Jesse looked at him like deer in headlights. Jesus Christ. Her and her mouth. Was he going to hurt her for her carelessness?!

And how dare he grab her like that! Her own temper flared at the treatment and over ride her fear. "Let. Go. Now," she said very slowly, her voice warm with its own anger. She glared right back at him.

The two stood there for a long moment glaring down one another. Who was going to give way first? Who was going to back down?

Jesse wasn't backing down. As much as she realized how far in the wrong she was, she did not like being manhandled. No man had the right hurt to a woman because he couldn't keep his own damn attitude in check.

"I'm giving you to the count of three. Let my wrist go," Jesse stated, her voice flat. She would knee him in the balls. She would kick him in the shin. It might not be the smartest tactic when dealing with some one as volatile as Sasuke, but at the moment she didn't get two shits.

He finally loosen his grip and she snatched her wrist back. The look on his face was nerve-racking. He was positively pissed with her.

"Do what you want. I don't care," Jesse hissed and walked around him. She stalked off to go grab her bathrobe. The nerve of that ass hole….

It wasn't till she locked the bathroom door-thank goodness that most of the rooms came with locks on the inside of the door- that she let that first inkling of panic set in. He was willing to hurt her!

She could see it in his face. The way his eyes were set. Shit! She just evaded death!

Tears swelled in her eyes as she slung down the door and buried her face in her arms. This was horrible. How the hell was she supposed to put up with Sasuke's unpredictability for the next 300 something days!

"I can't do this," Jesse said. Fuck, how the hell was she going to survive? It was one thing to day-dream about sharing her life with Sasuke, but now that she had the chance she wanted to run as far as her feet could carry her.

Too bad she didn't know how to summon that stupid bitch-face goddess. She would so rip her a new one right now.

The panic was replaced with righteous anger. Here, Jesse was having to lock herself in her own bathroom just to hide so she could have a melt-down. God, how fucking pathetic!

Jesse climbed to her feet. She was going have to come out to finish getting ready for work sometime, but that didn't mean she couldn't take her sweet time doing it.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Sasuke Uchiha. He belongs to Kishimoto and the manga/anime of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. I am simply borrowing him for my own twisted amusement.

Reviews, advice, and constructive criticism are always welcomed. Thank you and enjoy.

Chapter Five

Hey Mom

I Got A Ninja For A Roommate!

Jesse's phone vibrated in her pocket while she was out to lunch with Caroline and Nancy, one of the nurses. Since the doctor's office staff got an hour for lunch, they decided to get subs over at Green Farmer, a old family deli counter that had been around since the early 1900s.

Their subs were excellent and everything was locally sourced.

"Hey Mom," Jesse greeted her mom after she answered her phone. "What's up?"

"What are you going to want for dinner tonight, sweetie?" her mothered wanted to know.

Jesse suddenly lost her appetite. Fuck…. That was right. Today's laundry day. Since she couldn't afford to buy an washer and dryer yet, every Tuesday Jesse went over to her parents house to do her laundry. She excused herself from the table and walked through the doors to stand outside.

Great. Just what was she going to do now? "I don't think tonight will work, mom," Jesse said. Unease churned in her stomach.

"You got plans?" Her mom sounded disappointed. Jesse and her mother were close, like best friends close. They shared everything. Well, almost everything.

"Well?" How the hell do you explain to your parents some stupid Japanese goddess decided to drop your all time anime crush into your life and he was going to be living with you for the next year? "No, it's just that a major deadline is comin' up and I really need to take time to sit down and write."

Which was true. The deadline for Jesse's first rough draft of the second book was due at the end of the month and she still had a lot of writing ahead of her.

"Jesse, you know better than procrastinating. How are you supposed to be good writer if you can't keep up with your deadlines?" her mother inquired, that tone of "I told you so" in her voice.

Jesse laughed nervously. "Yeah. I know. I know, mom. I'm just…" Just what? Having to deal with the biggest crisis her life has ever seen? Sharing living space with an emotional disturbed ninja who could snap her neck like a toothpick? "I'm just getting ready for a roommate to come live with me."

"An what?! When is this happening? Does John and Coral know? What did they say? What is her name? How long have you known her? Do we know her folks?" Jesse's grimaced at the millions of questions being fired off.

Shit….

Well, she started this so she might as well dive in. She had been rolling over an idea on how she met Sasuke, her new roommate. "Well, **he** actually."

"What? An man? Jesse, are you hidin' somethin' from me? How long have your known him? Does he treat you right? Does any of yours-?"

Jesse quickly cut her mom off. "Yes, he's a guy, mom. No, I ain't hiding anything from you. I've known him for a while, and he's a good guy. And yes, John and Coral know about it. I told them over a month ago."

Nope. Nope. Lies! All of them! Crap, was she digging herself a grave or what?

"So what's his name then?"

"Sasuke," Jesse said. "Sasuke Yamoto. He's from… San Diego."

"That's all the way on the other side of the states! How in the world did you meet him?" her mom cried in shock.

Jesse winced. "Online, mom."

"Jesse, you know how I feel about meetin' people online."

"Yes. Yes. I know. I know. I met him on one of the writer forums I'm always telling you about. He's more of a writing critic than anything, but he's been following my stories for years and well, we just sort of got to talking and well, became friends from there."

Wow. Just wow. Jesse was pulling this story right out of her ass as she went. It was believable at least. It's not like she told her mother that Sasuke was her boyfriend she met online or something. Now that would be stupid.

"So when is he coming?"

"Soon. Like within in this week soon. You'll get to meet him this weekend," Jesse said. And as soon as she said that she instantly regretted it.

Jesse, just shut up. Right now just shut up. You've said enough, she scolded herself mentally. "Look, I gotta head back to the office. I'll fill you in when I come over tomorrow to do my laundry and have dinner with you and dad, alright?"

"Alright. What are you going to want?" her mother asked.

"Just surprise me. Love ya." Jesse quickly hung up and leaned against the white-grey building for support. Fuck, what was she getting herself into? Her and Sasuke? Friends? He barely knew her. In fact he knew nothing about her and it's not like they actually get along. At this point and time, she wasn't sure how to describe their situation or opinion of one another.

"How the hell am I going to pull this one off?"


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Sasuke Uchiha. He belongs to Kishimoto and the manga/anime of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. I am simply borrowing him for my own twisted amusement.

Reviews, advice, and constructive criticism are always welcomed. Thank you and enjoy.

Chapter Six

Hello Sasuke Dear

Sasuke slept on and off throughout the day. There was nothing he could do at the moment about his current predicament. He was still drained from his collision with Naruto in battle. The dobe had gotten so strong since the last time he saw him.

Even with the power granted to Sasuke from the Sage of Six Paths Naruto had gotten the upper hand in battle. How was it every damn time Naruto was able to be two steps ahead of him?

I bet that idiot is having an conniption fit right now, Sasuke thought smugly. Once again, he managed to get away from Naruto. With a little help from some nosy goddess…

Sasuke laid on the olive green couch in the woman's living room. He stared out the large window, the jungle cat using his chest as a perch. The little creature purred loudly while he absently stroked its head.

There had to be a way to get back there. He didn't belong to this world. He definitely didn't like the idea of spending an entire year here, while who knows was happening back at home.

Home…. Sasuke thought bitterly. After all he's done…. After single-handedly playing a part in starting the Fourth Shinobi War, and once again willing to play the villain when he and Naruto faced off, could he really consider that world "home" anymore? Was it better for everyone if he remained trapped here?

No, he decided. He had to get back. He would shoulder the burden of hatred. He would show them all. He would become a _**true**_ hockage. The shadow that nobody sees, but is always present. Itachi shouldered all that hatred himself for so long and Sasuke was going to do the same. Except he would take it one step further.

There had to be a way to escape this place. He would find a way. Once his strength returned, he would flee this house and its owner and scourer this world for a jutsu that could help him get back to his world. His world….

He wondered if it was true what that woman had told him. That all his jutsu was now sealed away. Shouldn't be possible. He was the reincarnation of the Sage's son. He had all the power in the world. That kind of power shouldn't be able to be sealed away so easily.

He would find a way. He always did.

"My, my. Such a cocky little thing you are," an silken feminine voice said.

He jerked up right. The motion sent the jungle cat toppling into his lap. She meowed in annoyance at being rudely moved, before curiously regarding the new intruder in her owner's home.

An woman stood before Sasuke. She was dressed in a floating robes of pink, red, and white. Her pitch black hair done up in a fancy hairstyle with many clips and flowers. Her pink eyes stared him down, an smug smile on her red painted lips.

"Hello dear. I'm that troublesome goddess that you and Wilds Jesse are so fond of," the woman introduced herself as.

Sasuke stumbled to his feet. His muscles coiled for attack. His hands formed fists. He swayed.

An knowing smirked appeared on the goddess's face as he tried in vain to keep himself standing. "Now. Now. You're in no condition to fight, Uchiha Sasuke," she said amusement plain as day on her face.

He suddenly felt invisible hands pushed him back down onto the couch. He struggled against them. Tried to activate his sharigan to see what kind of jutsu his opponent was using. Nothing was happening. Why wasn't his kekkei genkai kicking in?!

He tried gathering chakra inside to perform a replacement jutsu, but all he felt was nothing. Why couldn't he feel his chakra anymore?

The goddess laughed. The damn bitch laughed at him. "Having some trouble, Uchiha Sasuke?" she taunted as she floated over to the couch.

More invisible hands grabbed at him, restrained him. He found himself pinned. The goddess stood in front of him, a pleased smile on her lips. "Do you realize why I sent you here, my dear?"

His wasn't her "dear." He glared silently at her, daring her to say anything else. Rage permeated the air around him.

"I am the goddess of love, Sasuke sweetheart and I have seen what you have done with your life," the goddess declared. She titled her head smiling. "While most deities would turn away and let your little farce play itself out I thought I'd give you a chance to redeem yourself."

"Redeem myself from what?!" He spat. "You have no right. No fucking right interfering in my agenda?!"

"Do I? My. My. How ignorant. How human," the goddess snickered. She sat down next to him. Her pink eyes appraising him. "The Sage of the Six Paths is a fool. He should have known better than handing that kind of power to a child like yourself."

"I am the reincarnation of his son. I have a right to that power," Sasuke defended angrily. He would accomplish his mission. Once he found a way to free himself from this prison, he was going back there no matter what challenges faced him.

"Oh listen to that inner monologue you have going on there," the goddess said dryly. "So much like Indra."

That stopped his struggling. That bitch knew Indra personally? And how was she doing that? Lifting his thoughts straight out of his head?

"Indra has always been a proud fool and that pride was his down fall, dear," the goddess said. "And yes, I can hear everything you're thinking. Every thought, whether on a conscious or subconscious level. Why do you think it was so easy for me to bring you here? My kind transcends the rules that separate and guide each reality."

Sasuke glared down the goddess as she let him digest that little piece of information. So she could hear everything he was thinking. "What do you want from me?"

"To give you a chance to find yourself of course," the goddess answered in a matter of fact tone. "You're so caught up in your grandeur that you're blind to what lies in front of you. You had so many chances, dear, so many to turn it all around. To become something greater. To do good that not even your dear beloved dead brother could achieve."

That bitch had no idea what it had been like for Itachi. How he was forced to betray his family, forced by the elders of Konoha to bare the name of traitor and live a life of solitude and dishonor. How dare she spite his name!

"And I suppose you plan on taking up his flag then? Become what he had been?" the goddess chuckled darkly. "A villain for all to fear and despise? Someone everyone hates in order to unite all the nations so there's no more wars anymore? All that hatred focused on your alone. Boy, you are stupid beyond measure."

"I don't care what you think. This is the path I choose," Sasuke snarled. He alone could change the world and he will do it.

"You will change nothing." The goddess gently brushed his hair back. He flinched away from her touch. "All you want to accomplish will crumble eventually. You're not immortal. You're not an celestial being."

"I have the eternal power of the successors…"

"The eternal power?!" The damn bitch started laughing. Her laughter felt like millions of petals rolling across his skin. He shuddered. "How can you accomplish that when your own abilities are now sealed away?"

"I will find a way. If you can a find a way to bring me here then I know there is a way to get back to my world. The world I belong to."

"You belong nowhere. You have alienated yourself from all once you stopped caring what others thinks," the goddess said. "Besides Naruto and Sakura, all have given up on you. You're dead to them. Even if you start remarking the world, the seeds from the old will still be there. They will be planted without you knowing and they will grow again. There is always conflict. In order for the universe to continue existing, conflict must remain. It drives the winds of change."

"I will change that."

The goddess titled her head. "Not without your abilities you won't." She watched him try to summon his power again.

Again he felt nothing stirring, no tingle of charka, nothing. How could this be? It was like he suddenly had a hole inside of him? What happened to his jutsu?

"It's gone, dear. I ripped it away from your grasp," the goddess told him. She was very pleased when a look of something akin to horror washed over his face.

All his jutsu? The rinnegan? His sharigan? It was all…. Gone?! "But you shouldn't be able to…"

"Oh, I can. Unlike your lot, I'm above the law of reproach that governs the world you live in. Celestial beings are fully aware of themselves and aren't confined to the world of flesh and blood," the goddess elaborated. She waited while he took in the information. "You're quest to be forever alone, Uchiha Sasuke, stops here. There is only one way for you to gain back your precious powers."

"And what is that?! Huh?!" he screamed at her. He struggled against the invisible force holding him in place. If there was ever time that he wanted to kill someone it was now. That bitch had no right. No fucking right to fuck up his plans. Only he alone was in charged of his destiny.

"And now you are not," the goddess said with that mocking smile that he wanted to rip from her damn face. "You have precisely one year, hon. One year. In order to regain back what you have lose, you must get Wilds Jesse to fall in love with you."

Was this stupid goddess for real? In order to get his jutsu back he had to get that daft woman to fall in love with him?!

"I will not lower myself to do your bidding!" Sasuke screamed in the goddess's face. "I will find a way back on my own! I'm not going to play your game! I would rather die than to woo some woman."

The goddess of love smile became colder as he screamed. "Then I take it you would rather walk through your life with your jutsu permanently sealed away. Never again able to rival Naruto."

That stopped his screaming. Ice spread through his chest. His jutsu forever sealed away. Somewhere he couldn't reach it? "You mean you would send me back… the way I am now?"

"Yes. That's exactly what I mean Sasuke," the goddess said as she stood up. "I have had a little talk with Otsutsuki Hagoromo. He will think twice from now on before handing Indra's ability to a mere novice."

"I am no novice."

The goddess laughed. "Ha! Boy, you haven't even begun to live your life. You're barely two decades old that gives you little experience to a being who has been around for millennia." She stopped in the middle of the room. An preternatural wind began to blow around her. The smell of spring and sakura blossoms suddenly graced his senses.

Her smile turned sad. "The choice is yours, dear. Either follow through with this little scheme of mine or else I send you back to your world as you are now. You will never get your abilities back. You will never again rival Uzumaki Naruto's power. You will walk through your life as a average ordinary man till the day you die. An mere shadow to Naruto's greatness."

Sasuke stopped struggling altogether. He would never match Naruto again. He would never be on the same level as that dobe ever again?! If he didn't follow through with this stupid plan, he would be sent back to his world, but he would have to live a ordinary life?! He would never be called shinobi again?

"If I fail to get that woman to fall in love with me?" Sasuke wasn't saying he was agreeing to this goddess's damn plan, but if the option was that, he'd sooner try than walk through his life a mere shadow of what he once was.

"Then you're powers will be sealed away permanently and you will be sent back to your world powerless," the goddess announced.

"And I have a year to get… Wilds Jesse…" So this was his only choice? He had no other options? "I have a year to get Jesse to fall for me is that it or else I will never get my jutsu back?"

"That's correct, dear."

Hatred rose up against it all. That cold bitter hatred he knew all too well by now. He give the goddess a dark look. "I will get my power back. I will return."

"Really now? And how do you plan on doing that?"

He didn't want to do it. He was no longer worthy of love, but facing the alternative, Sasuke knew in his heart he would rather try than sit back and let all he had work for fall away without even a struggle. "Fine. I'll do it."

The goddess smiled obviously pleased he was going to cooperate. Besides how hard was it to get some woman to fall for him? Women always threw themselves at him. It shouldn't be that hard to do.

"Don't get too cocky, Sasuke dear," the goddess said sensing his thoughts. Her eyes glowed brightly in the afternoon light. The preternatural wind swirled around her, making her robes dance. "After all, you too must develop feelings towards Wilds Jesse as well."

That stopped Sasuke in his tracks. "What?!"

The goddess laughed, her laughter echoing through the air like chimes as she vanished from sight. The smell of sakura blossoms lingering in her wake.

Sasuke hopped to his feet ready to charge after the goddess for her treachery, but the feeling of that oppressing power leaving so quickly sent him stumbling forward. He wasn't able to catch himself and collided with the wooden floor.

Sasuke laid there stunned for a second. He didn't like this. He hated this. He was going to have to swallow his pride and woo some woman just to back to his world and regain the powers he lost?!

On cue the sound of the back glass door sliding filled the spacious living room. "Why does my house smell like perfume?" came Jesse's voice sounding confused as hell.

Sasuke carefully picked himself up. Of all the laughable situations to find himself in, this one took the cake. He seated himself back on the couch as the sound of rustling and things being moved around could be heard. His "kind" host was busying herself around the kitchen.

After their fight this morning he wondered if she was afraid of him or not? Or was she like Sakura? Stupid and easily swayed?

"Surri. Numma-Numma time! Surri! Momma's home," the woman called into the house.

His eyebrows went up. Was she really talking baby-talk to her cat?

He saw a flash of spots as the jungle cat ran out from whatever hiding place it had found during his confrontation with the bitch goddess of love.

"Dawh! You're so cute! Commere! Kissy-Kissy." The baby-talking continued. He heard the cat meow in reply to the love she was receiving.

"Ah! Okay. Okay. No chewing on your momma. Jeez."

Sasuke had to stop himself from chuckling. Served her right. The sound of a bag rustling came next, followed by the sound of cat food being poured into a bowl.

"I wonder if Mr. High-And-Mighty is up yet?" he heard his host wonder out loud. She didn't sound exactly thrilled to having to see him after getting home from work. Maybe her pride was still smarting from this morning.

An thread of anger wrapped around his chest. She had no right to have said what she had that morning. She knew nothing of what he had been through to achieve his powers. She knew nothing of loosing the people closest to her. To having be alone. To have no one left.

And he supposed to make her fall in love with him?! What a laugh. But did he have any other choice?

Jesse moved from the kitchen and towards the hallway disappearing towards her room. Her pudgy arms reaching up to unclip the barrette in her hair. The sandy brown locks slipped out of the bun in one graceful movement. He wondered how he was going to go about it. To get this girl to fall for him. Right now, he would play the goddess's game till he found a different option.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Sasuke Uchiha. He belongs to Kishimoto and the manga/anime of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. I am simply borrowing him for my own twisted amusement.

Reviews, advice, and constructive criticism are always welcomed. Remember folks every writer likes feed back. Also an "thank you" goes out to Alinys for being the first to click on the "follow" button. Thank you for deciding to follow **Where Dreams Meet Reality**.

Thank you and enjoy.

Chapter Seven

A Shopping We Will Go

"Your pants are falling off your ass," Jesse said after Sasuke changed from the dirty clothes he had been laying around in for the last how many days? Thank god he took a shower before he changed into the clothes she bought him.

And he smelled so fruity-licious now too. She only had girl shampoo and conditioner in the shower right now. He smelled like one big tropical fruit salad. She tried to keep from laughing.

He was kind of swimming in his clothes. The plain white t-shirt hung off his frame like a cloak and the dark grey sweatpants barely stayed on his ass.

Sasuke wasn't amused. "You were the one that bought them."

"Yeah. Well it was either this or else your balls not having room to breath," Jesse stated trying not to laugh. The perverted remark earned her an deeper scowl. "Think of it this way, you'll be in style."

Sasuke gave her a look. "Who the hell wants to walk around with their pants hanging around their knees?"

Jesse laughed as she showed the way out the door. Today would be Sasuke's first step into her world. Since he arrived he either slept or sulk about her house. It was a Friday and Jesse took the day off so she could get Mr. Moody Pants a new wardrobe.

Sasuke slipped on the remains of his sandals. Jesse insisted on cutting the away the ruined leg-guards, so it was liked he owned a pair of flip-flops now. He hadn't disagreed with her on it, but she could tell by his face he wasn't impressed.

Since their little confrontation on Tuesday morning, the two seemed to be getting along better. Not by much, but at least Sasuke seem to tolerant being around Jesse at least. He was still cranky as ever, but he hadn't try to grab her or do anything violent since. Jesse wasn't sure what to make of it. Something had changed, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"And here she is, my baby," Jesse announced happily. She was damn proud of her car.

Sasuke looked from the woman to the vehicle in question. "That's your baby?" She calls her cat her "baby" too. He never knew what to make of her wording.

"This bwute is a 2014 Rogue. I'm leasing it of course," Jesse bragged. "It gets twenty gallons in the city and 24 out on the highway. It's only had one owner before me, but the dealer reassured me that its in perfect condition. I can't believe the guy returned it only after owning it a month!"

"It's a box on wheels," Sasuke stated.

"Really Sherlock. What a astounding conclusion," Jesse exclaimed in a fake British accent, laughing. She was glad to be doing something besides going to and from work and home and back again. She enjoyed shopping, especially if it was for other people. She unlocked the doors. "Get in, come on. My car ain't gonna bite."

Sasuke watched her open the driver's side before rounding the car and mimicking her. He had to duck his head as he climbed in.

"See that thing behind your shoulder. You gotta pull it towards you and buckle yourself in," Jesse explained. "There's a buckle with a bright red button on your left."

Sasuke didn't say anything and just did what was he was told. Jesse started up the car and the engine hummed to life. The driveway let out onto the meandering country road.

Meghan Trainor's "Dear Future Husband" came on the radio. "Oh, I love this song," Jesse said and cranked up the volume.

Sasuke looked from the stereo to Jesse like she was crazy. Did she plan this?

The woman was too busy focusing on shifting the vehicle into reversed and starting to back down the short driveway onto the road. She was singing along. She was a little off-key.

The engine hummed louder as she shifted it into drive and started going forward. "Don't look like that, Uchiha. You're getting out of the house," she shouted above the music or at least what she considered music.

Jesse's taste in music was beyond Sasuke. He didn't understand this world's music at all. Not that he paid attention to music back in his world. He had better things to do than waste his time on trivial things.

"Alright we're heading to the mall. Luckily, it's early afternoon so hopefully there won't be too many people out and about yet," Jesse explained as she drove. She turned the volume down. She glanced at Sasuke who was looking at the country scenery as it went by.

The closer to town they got more houses started appearing among the greenery and then paved sidewalks and storefronts. It was a peaceful afternoon in Eerie. Not many souls were out and about around one. It was still work hours for those who worked the nine to five grind.

Thank God today I'm not, Jesse thought in high spirits. She was about to introduce Sasuke to the American consumer culture. I wonder how well this is going to go…

Jesse looked to Sasuke out of the corner of her eye. Even in clothes that he was swimming in, he was still a heart throb. He looked like a super model. Why did Kishimoto design his character so stinking hot looking?!

"Jesse!" Sasuke's shout brought her out of her ogling.

Jesse hit the breaks. She hadn't realize the car ahead of them had stopped. "Shit!"

Lucky for her the Rogue's breaks were really good. The car lurked forward nearly kissing the bumper of the Ford ahead of them, stopping mere inches away.

"Well, that was close," Jesse uttered.

"Keep your eyes on the road," Sasuke hissed.

"Hey. Whose driving me or you?" Jesse snapped in annoyance. Four cars head of them the light at the turn off for the mall was red. Jesse was actually quite surprised to see this many vehicles on the road right now, but then again this was peach street. Of course it was gonna be busy. It was a tourist mecha.

"Just keep your eyes on the road," Sasuke repeated in annoyance. His heart was beating a thousand miles an hour in his chest. Damn that girl was easily distracted. Just what she was looking at that had taken her attention away from where they were going?

Jesse's face was red from embarrassment. "Aye, aye mon capiton," she muttered.

Again he gave her a look. What was with her and her lingo? "What does that even mean?"

"Your face that's what."

"Is that supposed to be funny?"

"Your face is funny."

Sasuke sighed at her being immature. He didn't understand the joke, but he knew when she was making fun of him.

The cars started moving once the light turned green.

"You're annoying," Sasuke uttered.

"Since when don't I annoy you?" Jesse shot back. He wanted to wipe that smart ass grin right off her face. Only Naruto was ever this annoying. "Come on, smile for once. It's not going to crack your face in half. Oh, wait. It might. Wouldn't want to ruin your rugged good looks."

"Shut up."

"Nope. Not gonna happen."

"How do you not drive people insane with that mouth of yours?"

"Not everybody has a lousy sense of humor, Sasuke."

The stopped him from saying anything else. No woman he ever meet knew how to do that. To shock him into silence quite like Jesse. It seemed no matter what he said or what kind of insult he threw at her, she knew exactly the right comeback for it.

"How do you that?" He had to find out how. It drove him up the wall that he couldn't get the upper hand when they bickered.

"Do what?" Jesse pulled into a parking space. Much to her relief there was not a lot of vehicles parked in front of Macy's. She made sure that they were parked far enough way so her car wouldn't get door-dinged. It drove her crazy when that happened.

"That."

They got out of the car and started walking towards the enormous building.

"You're gonna have to be more specific than that, Uchiha."

"I can insult you all I want and you still have something to shoot back," Sasuke elaborated as she opened the door for him. He paused for a moment taking in the shop's interior. The shop seemed to spread out ahead of him forever, crowded with articles of clothes on displays he never dream of existing before. How huge was this place?

Jesse turned and looked at him. She smirked. "Cat got your tongue?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Let's get this over with." He walked passed her, trying not to be overwhelmed.

"You're gonna have one hell of a fit when we actually step foot out of Macy's," Jesse snickered at his expense. "I personally can't wait to see this."

Sasuke tried to ignore the remark. That one was definitely stranger than any girl he'd met before. She acted more like a guy than a girl at times.

It seemed to take forever till they stepped foot into what Jesse's called "the mall." The ceiling rose way above their heads. Its concrete walls carried sound like the halls at the Kage summit, but it was buzzing with regular people instead of samurais.

Sasuke never seen so many darker skin toned people in his entire life! Jesse called them "African Americans" "Mexicans," and "Puerto Ricans."

"So let's see. Where to start," Jesse muttered to herself as they walked along the concrete paneled floors. Sasuke tried to keep his face indifferent while he took in the sights. "We can start at Hollister's, American Eagle, Hot Topic. Really the lists goes on. So…."

An group of people with features similar to Sasuke's walked by. He had to do a double-take. Was there Uchiha blood here? Not that black hair and black eyes were uncommon among other clans, but they were dominant features in the Uchiha bloodline.

"Sasuke?" Jesse followed his gaze. "Oh, I see," she said in a understanding tone. She grabbed his arm and lead him on. "A lot of people from Asia have black hair and brown-black eyes, Sasuke. It's a common thing."

"Asia?"

Jesse gave a huff and stepped off to the side, pulling him into a store. "Yeah. Countries like Japan. China. Vietnam. Korea. Malaysia. I'll pull up a global map on my computer when we get home."

Sasuke didn't say anything else. This was news to his ears. So did he look Asian to the people here? Jesse had mentioned that he had a strong Japanese face. He was starting to grasp what she had been getting at.

It hadn't even been a second before the two were greeted by one of the female employees. The girl was blonde and obviously around Sasuke's age. "Welcome to Hollister's. How can I help…. Whoa?!"

The girl was star-truck. Jesse felt laughter coming on as the poor girl stared down Sasuke like Chris Hemworth just strolled in. He was quite the sight after all.

Guess the old Uchiha charm works even here, Jesse mused watching Sasuke instantly grow annoyed with the fact he was getting ogled like chocolate ice cream.

Jesse had to cover her mouth from laughing as Sasuke found himself being gawked at by almost every girl in the store. "Good Lord, it's like we stepped into a anime," Jesse snickered much to Sasuke's chagrin. "Is there any chance we can get my friend's pant size measured? He's kind of new to store shopping."

It was only then that it dawned on the blonde that Mr. Gorgeous was with someone. The girl looked to Jesse and her face fell. Jesse knew that look. The look that said "why is someone your size in here?"

Jesse knew she was a big girl. She had always been overweight, even as a child so normal clothes shopping had always been the biggest problem for her, especially when trying to find cute ones.

"So can we get his pant sized measured here or do we have to go somewhere else?" Jesse elaborated before the teen could make any assumptions.

The blonde perked up at the mention of Sasuke being the person looking for new threads and not her. "Oh! Uh… I don't know. I'll go check," she said quickly throwing a flirtatious grin Sasuke's way.

Sasuke looked at Jesse who was having a very hard time keeping a straight face. "What?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all," she said quickly and then snorted back a laugh. Although she didn't like being judge on her size, Jesse was having fun watching Sasuke's reaction.

"Well, I talked to someone and they said you can't get measured here. Macy does that type of thing," the blonde said walking back over. She looked positively crestfallen at the thought such a gorgeous guy was going have to go somewhere else and leave her sight. She quickly brightened though. "But you can always come back after you find out your measurements. We'll be more than happy to help you then! I'm Veranda and come and find me if you need any help at all, okay?"

"Oh, we will be sure to do that. Thank you, Veranda," Jesse replied with a eye roll and a snicker. She didn't think the girl heard her as she and Sasuke left the store. "So back to Macy's then."

It wasn't hard to find someone in the men's department of Macy's. An woman who looked to be in her mid-forties was at one of the fancy looking desks that housed the cash register, looking positively bored.

"Hello there," Jesse greeted the woman. "My friend needs to be measured to find out his pant's size. Could you point us to whose in charge of measuring guys?"

The woman looked from Jesse to Sasuke who was standing off to the side looking for all pretense and purposes bored out of his gourd. She straightened up immediately. "Oh my," the woman said as she adjusted her glasses. The tag on her blouse read Edna. "And is that your friend over there?"

"Yep. That's him alright," Jesse replied with a small grin and a shrug.

"Well, the head tailor for the department isn't here today, but I am next in line when costumers come for measurements," Edna explained. She and Jesse walked over to Sasuke. "I can get him measured up in a gif."

"Great. Thank you, Edna. Sasuke, this is Edna, she's going to be taking your measurements," Jesse said.

Sasuke looked over at the middle age woman. She was old enough to be his mother, but the way she was looking at him stated she was strictly thinking of something else. He turned and gave Jesse a glare, stating silently this was not amusing.

Jesse beamed at him. "Come on, sour puss. We gotta find out your measurement. We can't go pants shopping without it."

Sasuke couldn't believe it. She was enjoying herself…. At his expense.

"I'm not a piece of meat," he said while they waited for Edna to go get the measuring tape. They were standing by the men's fitting room.

Jesse busted up laughing. Sasuke didn't just say that did he? "God…" She snickered. "I can't believe… hee-hee… you just said that!"

"You're carting me around like one."

"No, you're doing that on your own there, bubby boy," Jesse shot back laughing.

"Stop that. You're enjoying yourself too much with this," Sasuke accused her. His voice low and angry. He didn't need their discussion being over heard by nosy people.

"Hee-Hee… Come on… It's too funny! Hahahaha," Jesse chortled and gave him a jab in the arm playfully. "You're a fucking dream to almost every damn girl that's around you. You can't be serious in acting like you're actually surprised at this. You ain't fooling nobody, Sasuke."

Sasuke stared her in annoyance. Why did she punch his shoulder like that? They weren't friends. Why was she trying to joke around with him like they were buddies?

Wait… That's right. They were supposed to be "friends." According to the story she told her parents as why she now had some strange guy living with her all of a sudden, he and her been online friends for a little over a year and a half. And according to her made-up story, he wanted a change of scenery from living in San Diego. He had no clue where this San Diego was to be truthful, but it would explain why nobody had ever seen him around before. So they needed to act like "friends."

Maybe it would be easier if she said I was her boyfriend instead of just a "friend," Sasuke thought. Wouldn't that be what most girls in her situation would have said?

According to Jesse though, he was "barely legal" as she put it. There was a five year difference between them and the idea of dating a "minor" was just asking for trouble.

"You are one weird woman," Sasuke said looking straight at Jesse when he said it to see what she would do. Most girls he knew from his world wouldn't response well to such a comment.

"Meh. I'm just awesome like that," Jesse replied with a shrug.

Sasuke studied her for a long moment. She was just… awesome like that? She didn't take it as a insult? Sakura would have been beside herself if he told her she was weird and Karin would have thrown a fit. But her… She just shrugged it off like it was nothing.

It didn't take long for Sasuke to get measured. They were done in five minutes flat. Jesse priced where Macy's pants in men's started off at and figured Sasuke should try on some jeans while they were there.

"If we get can them for a better price here, that would be great," Jesse said while sitting in a chair while in the men's fitting room. Even if Sasuke needed a new wardrobe, she wasn't rich up the ass, so they had to stick to a budget. "Well? How's it going in there, Uchiha? Do they fit?"

She heard some shuffling about and a grunt. "They're alright," he answered through the door.

"So… why don't you out come and show me then if they're 'alright'?" Jesse wanted to know.

"No."

"Ah, you're no fun," Jesse replied with a mock pout. Shopping with girlfriends were always better, but she had hoped Sasuke would at least give her the pleasure of watching him struck his stuff in front of her. Guess not. "Are you going to wear them if I buy them?"

"Yes."

"Okay-dokey, Heero Yuy," Jesse said. In her head the two anime characters were very similar. Both had sad tragic backgrounds. They were both bad asses and neither of them liked to talk much except when they had something important to say.

There was a long pause. "Who?" Sasuke sounded confused.

Jesse snickered. It was kind of fun making references that Sasuke didn't have a clue about. It was like she had a constant inside joke that only she knew about. Though, it was funnier when she could share such things.

As if sensing where her train of thought was heading, the muffled sound of Fifth Harmony's "BO$$" filled the fitting room. Jesse pulled out her phone. She had a text from Rachael.

Rachael: Are we still on tonight or should we reschedule because of you know who?

Jessed sighed, remembering that it was her and her best friends' weekly Friday movie night. What was she going to do? Should she call the movie night off till she was sure Sasuke could hanble company? Friday movie night had been a tradition since the girls' late high school years.

Since Jesse had moved into the ranch style house seven months ago movie night was held over at her place every Friday. They would rent movies off net flicks, whether new or old time favorites, and they would order pizza and wings, and stay up till late, drinking and having a good time.

And she was supposed to give that up because Sasuke came into her life?

Jesse heard the fitting room door open and Sasuke walked out. He handed her the pair of jeans. She tuck them underneath her arm "Is there anything that caught your eye in t-shirts?"

"No. Where else?"

Jesse rolled her eyes. He barely looked at the shirts that Macy's offered. It became painfully obvious Sasuke wasn't into graphic t-shirts. She tried to point some more abstract designs that stated nothing and yet everything at the same time. He just walked by them without a second look.

Guess she was gonna have just buy him some plain ones and get his picky ass to try them on. There were sales going on after all.

"Maybe we should try Kohl's and Target too after the mall," she muttered underneath her breath as she dragged him back into the men's clothes. "Pick a color, Uchiha."

"Why?" Sasuke gave her a annoyed glance.

"Because they have a sale going on and I am not spending a arm and leg on your ass," Jesse replied. She knew he needed clothes, like really bad, but she didn't have an unlimited back account like the girls in fanfictions seem to have.

"Why are you so pissy all of a sudden?" Sasuke asked. Apparently, he didn't like girls giving him shit right back.

"Because I got a budget and I'm trying to keep to it while trying to decide whether or not I should invite my friends over tonight or not."

"That's what got you upset?" He sounded indignant. He gave her a look of disbelief.

"Welcome to living with a woman, Uchiha," Jesse shot back peevishly. She rifled through the plain shirts. "Pick a color."

"Why would you be pissed about that? You said it yourself. You need to be careful about my being here. It would be careless to just invite people over who might recognize me from the cartoon, right?" Sasuke pointed out.

"Since when are you Mr. Practical?"

Sasuke didn't respond. Jesse sighed and pulled out on a plain grey one, a green one, and purple one. "Go try these on and tell me which one fits better," Jesse said. "The grey and purple are a medium and the green is a large."

"I'm capable of picking out my own clothes," Sasuke argued obviously annoyed by the fact she was helping him shop.

"Yeah. Yeah. Just go try them on. You need clothes. Idiot," Jesse snapped at him. She handed him the shirts and pointed to the dressing room. "Go try them on and let me know which ones fit better, alright? Work with me here."

This time she didn't follow him into the fitting room and waited just outside. She glared down at her phone. Should she? Shouldn't she?

Rachael knew about what happened. Hell, she had been there after all when Benzaiten decided to drop Sasuke's unconscious body off on her bed, and Jesse was pretty sure that she had informed her sister, May, about the whole situation too. She knew she could trust the Stone sisters beyond the shadow of a doubt. They had been there with her through thick and thin after all.

She texted Rachael back.

Jesse: It's still on. I so need some girl time right now. Uchiha is driving me fuckin' mad!

Sasuke was quick. "The purple and grey fit better than the green."

Jesse took the shirts. "Pick out a color then. It's fifteen for three and since you're not into graphic tees I guess when deals like this come up, we're gonna have to take advantage of it."

Minutes later Edna rung them out at the cash register and they were on their way to the next store. They went back to Hollister's. Since it was on the pricey side, Jesse kept a close eye on the how much the jeans were that Sasuke tried on.

She tried to ignore the fact that Veranda kept hovering around them as they moved throughout the store. She kept asking if there was anything at all that Sasuke needed help with. She fluttered her eyes at him and shot him flirty smiles. Of course, Sasuke was immune to her advances and told her to get lost at one point. Jesse actually felt for the girl as she watch her sulk off after being shot down so rudely. Sasuke didn't really find anything that was to his liking. So they were forced to move onto another store much to Jesse's relief.

They took some time to check out Hot Topic and then American Eagle. Jesse bought him another pair of jeans and an navy blue jacket that was priced around forty in American Eagle. He was going to need a jacket after all. And who could beat a jacket that was around that much?

Once they covered most of the stores in the mall, Jesse lead the way back to Macy's. It was already around 4 o'clock.

Let's see. Two pairs of jeans, five t-shirts, a jacket, two long sleeves…. Jesse mentally went over their haul. And it only cost me… what? 110 dollars altogether. Not bad I guess.

"Rachael and May are going to come over around 6:30," Jesse informed Sasuke after she started the Rogue.

Sasuke looked to her. "I thought we agreed you shouldn't have people over."

"I don't remember agreeing to anything, Uchiha," Jesse said promptly.

"It's a stupid idea."

"No. It's not. Look, you're going have to meet my friends sooner or later because you're apart of my life now. And my friends are apart of my life too," Jesse elaborated glancing at him and then back at the traffic ahead of them. They were heading to Kohl's to wrap up their shopping. She figured Sasuke could find some decently priced sneakers there and well, underwear and socks too. "And you're not going to hide yourself away in my house the whole time you're here. That's not gonna fly. You're supposed to change for the better, remember? Well, one way to do that would be to socialize and put yourself out there."

"I don't have to do anything. I'm not changing for anyone," Sasuke retaliated angrily. "I may be here a year, but that means nothing. I have things I need to take care of back in my world and that comes first."

"And just how do you plan on accomplishing that, huh? You got a year. An entire year in a foreign realm you know nothing about," Jesse pointed out heatedly. "So suck it up, buttercup, and just try to enjoy yourself. It ain't gonna kill ya to have a little fun once in a while."

"I will find a way to get back."

"And how? If you don't remember, I told you this world runs on money. You can't do shit without it and what? Are you planning on becoming a hobo and wandering around the states by yourself looking for your answers? Sooner or later you'll end up getting yourself arrested and when the police tries to look up your records, they're going to find nothing. They'll think you're an illegal immigrant, which news flash, you are! You have no history here, no birth records, no citizenship. When the authorities try to deport you they won't know which country to send you to!"

Sasuke silently glared out the window as Jesse rattled off everything wrong with his plan. She did have a valid point. How was he going to get around in this world? He knew nothing of the culture, the language, the currency. Was all of that really going to slow him down?

"Guess I'll have to buy my time then," Sasuke said out loud in a thoughtful voice.

"What?"

"You're right. I know nothing about this place, but that doesn't mean I can't learn," Sasuke replied confidentially. "I got an entire year. If I can put up with training under that snake for three years, then I can endure being here for a year."

"God, Sasuke," Jesse muttered in dismay. She flicked on her blinker on as she switched leans and waited for the light to turn green and turned onto the street that lead to the plaza that held Kohl's, Hobby Lobby, and Party City.

An uneasy quiet settled between the two as Jesse parked her car and they headed towards Kohl's. Sasuke was a stubborn son of a bitch. Jesse wasn't sure how he planned on getting back by himself. Sure, she didn't know everything about the universe, but she was pretty sure unlike his world, his options on interdimensional travel here would be _very_ limited.

She knew that such things were considered science fiction here. Fantasy. It simply didn't exist. Or at least not yet. Sure, in theory time travel was possible, but technologically speaking humans were nowhere near that point yet.

"Jesse, which way?" Sasuke inquired interrupting her brooding once they stepped foot in the store.

Jesse huffed and showed the way. Her mind ran over various ways Sasuke could move throughout her world without being detected. He didn't have a cell phone that could be tracked. He wasn't the hitch-hiking type. He was a trained shinobi. He and the rest of team seven were now the new Sanins of his world. He could survive in this world. He would have to keep himself hidden, but she didn't think he would have much trouble doing that.

So why was he sticking around then? Why put up with her and her constant bossiness? Sasuke had pointed out several times since they started living together she was too bossy for her own good.

"Why are you sticking around?" Jesse asked out loud as Sasuke picked through the racks. He now knew his pant size and what size t-shirt to wear, so really he could pick out his own clothes now.

Sasuke paused and looked at her. He seemed surprised she actually asked. "Why do you want to know?"

"I'm… I'm just curious. You obviously have the skill set to survive any situation thrown at you. Not to mention the history to prove it."

Sasuke studied her for a long moment, a sort of thoughtfulness crossing his features. He smirked and reached out to fiddle with a strand of loose hair that had fallen out of her ponytail. "Heh. Maybe you're actually as intelligent as you make yourself out to be."

"Say what now?" Jesse stared up at him flabbergasted. Did he just compliment her? Or was she hearing things? She quickly pulled her strand of hair out of his grasp and tucked it back behind her ear. "I don't know if you're insulting me or complimenting me."

Sasuke didn't reply. He only smirked and went towards the shoes, leaving Jesse flustered and unsure what the hell was going on. Was he just flirting with her?

What the fuck?!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Sasuke Uchiha. He belongs to Kishimoto and the manga/anime of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. I am simply borrowing him for my own twisted amusement.

A/N: Hey everyone. Here's Chapter Eight. I want to say thank you to **Wolfy-Sama** for reviewing and clicking on the "favorite/follow" button. I'm glad I could tickle your funny bone!

Chapter Eight

Movie Night

Rachael was actually surprised Jesse still wanted to have Friday movie night, especially considering the fact she had an unwanted guest living with her right now. She thought for sure things would change now that the Emo ninja of the century was taking up residency with her. Apparently Jesse didn't want things to change that drastically.

Rachael felt her stomach churn uncomfortably as she pulled into the paved driveway in front of the small light brown ranch styled home. She turned off her ruby red Ford Escape and sat there for a long moment.

May looked to her expectant. "So are we going in or not?"

Rachael looked to her younger sister. May had the same bright ice blue eyes as her, but different color hair: her dark brown hair was pulled up tight into a twisted bun on top of her head. Rachael had informed May about the whole deal that went down between Jesse and that weird goddess of love, Benzaiten.

May knew who Sasuke was just as Rachael knew who he was. He was one of the main antagonist of Jesse's long time favorite anime series. Not to mention her favorite anime obsession.

"Yeah," Rachael said quietly. She had no idea what she and May were about to walk into. She took a moment to throw her mass of auburn curls into a messy ponytail.

It was very humid today. Luckily, Jesse would have her a/c running. It was one of many perks she acquired when she moved in.

The two Stone sisters followed the brick pathway around and behind the house and up onto the back porch. The sounds of folk music could be heard outside.

Jesse Wilds had an unique taste in music. She listened to about everything imaginable. Rachael envied that because compared to her best friend she had the musical taste of a teenager. Not that she was complaining.

"Hello?" Rachael slide the back door open that lead in the pantry area connected to the kitchen. She wondered if Jesse heard her. She had her music turned up pretty loud.

 _Is it powers of intuition?_

 _Is it insecurity?_

 _You know I can read your mind and_

 _You have been deceiving me…_

 _Which face wears the masque this evening?_

 _When will your true colors show?_

Jesse was in the kitchen filling a bowl with water. Her I-pod was hooked up to a speaker. The sounds of guitars mixed with tambourines and drums beat through the air. She looked up as Surri came bouncing over to wrap herself around May's feet.

"Oh hello there, kitten," May said kneeling down to pet the Bengal on her head. "Look how big you are. Have you missed your aunties?"

The music was turned down. "Hey there, amigas!" Jesse greeted beaming. She picked up three sealed tight packages of chicken breasts and submerged them in the bowl. "How does sweet-and-sour chicken with yellow rice sound for dinner?"

Rachael removed her shoes and left them by the door. "Sounds good. I brought Angry Orchard's Hard Apple Cider if that's okay?"

"Sure," Jesse said as Rachael deposited the six pack of hard cider into the refrigerator. "So how is it student teaching at Celeborn?"

Rachael shrugged. Her eyes scanned the kitchen and then the empty living room as she pulled up a seat at the breakfast nook that was stationed near the window that looked out towards the backyard. "It's been alright. The kids aren't as bad as they were at the other school. Mr. Patterson is nice enough and easy enough to go when I need to ask questions."

Rachael felt Surri rubbed up against her leg. She leaned over to ran her fingers over the feline's back. "Hellwo kitty. You're cute as always." She looked back to Jesse. "So… where's you know who?"

Jesse smirked at Rachael refusing to say Sasuke's name. "He's not Voldemort, Rachael." She chuckled. "And he's in his room sorting through the things we bought today."

"So what's it like having your all favorite anime character living with you? It is like in all those silly fanfictions or is he really a three-time D-bag medalist as he is in the anime?" May asked eagerly. She picked up Surri and seated herself across from the Rachael and twisted her body so she could see into the living room and into the kitchen at the same time.

Surri purred loudly and settled herself in May's lap. Her large eyes blinking and content.

Jesse paused at May's wording. "Well… It's not everything you'd think it would be," she said. She titled her head as she thought over their living together. "He's grouchy. He thinks he knows it all and we tend to butt heads… A lot."

Rachael snorted and looked over her shoulder towards the hallway beyond the living room. "And that Ben-what's-her-face really thinks he can change for the better? He's sounds like a regular D-bag extraordinaire. Not someone you want to fall for," she replied looking to Jesse with a meaningful look.

"Trust me, Rachael. I don't plan on falling for him," she stated coolly. "I learned my lesson."

Rachael gave Jesse a long look. They exchanged a silent moment of understanding. Both girls had histories of falling for Mr. Wrong and finding out the hard way that assholes would always be assholes. That men like Sasuke Uchiha were so not worth the time and wasted effort to go after. The two both grinned at each other as May looked between the two, curiously. Surri mirrored the same curious look as her almond shaped eyes looked to her owner.

Jesse put the bowl of water into the refrigerator on the lowest shelf. She grabbed herself a can of Dr. Pepper and opened it. The tab let out a satisfying hiss. "You two know the drill. If you want something to drink, get it yourself. Mi casa es tu casa."

Sasuke stood off around the corner. She learned her lesson? What in the world did that mean?

He had finished shifting through his newly bought clothes and put them in their proper place. He stood there for a moment processing what his hostess had told her friends.

So Jesse wasn't planning on falling for him? And what did she mean that she learned her lesson? She sounded confident when she said it.

Was it all an act? An front she was putting on for her friends?

She was sure friendly enough earlier when we were out, Sasuke thought with a deep scowl on his face. Was that just an act too?

He didn't know much about how women operated exactly. He always assumed all women were out to get his attention. He knew women liked the way he looked and fantasized over his body. He had used it to his average during his stay with Orochimaru and when he and his platoon would stop in towns while they were out looking for Itachi at the time.

Considering his options at the moment, Sasuke knew no other way of regaining his jutsu than do what the goddess told him he needed to do. Did he like the idea of wooing some women just so he could get his abilities back?

It was below someone of his talent but Sasuke was practical. He would use any means necessary to get his power back. If even that meant seducing Jesse Wilds into falling in love with him. Of course, if she was as serious as she sounded, Sasuke wondered how much of a challenge it was going to be.

"So these are you friends you spoke of," he said making his presence known as he rounded the corner. He needed a plan. He wasn't a romantic sort. He didn't know a thing about romance. He never paid attention to such worthless things, so how was he going to go about this?

He decided observation would be the good first step towards what he needed to do.

An awkward quiet filled the room as the brunette and redhead turned to look at him. Both of them like Jesse were, heavier than what he was use to. He never really meet many heavy girls when he was back in his world. The smallest out of the three of them was the redhead, who looked like she took time to exercise and keep herself somewhat in shape.

His eyes shifted to where Jesse was standing near the counter of her small kitchen that jutted out towards the table and three chairs. She didn't look too unhealthy for her size. It added a lot more curve to her body, a lot of the fat settling in the hips and thighs. Plus there was also that chest of hers.

Jesse was… well endowed and that was an understatement. Of course the large breast size seem to fit with the other proportions of her body. She had a nice face, so in a way he could say she was pretty to look at.

"Sasuke, this is May." Jesse pointed to the brunette and then the redhead. "And Rachael Stone. They're good friends of mine." She gestured to him. "Guys, meet the one and only Sasuke Uchiha."

Why was she referring to him by his actual name?

"I thought you said I shouldn't use my last name," Sasuke snapped annoyed. The two of them had a long and heated argument when Jesse first brought up the fact he needed to change his name while he was in this world. Apparently his full name stuck out too much. He had not been happy with her about it, but again, he reluctantly agreed that since he was such a well known character in some cartoon, it would be for the best to change his last name. He didn't need to bring any unwanted attention to himself.

Apparently characters of well known animes as she referred to the cartoon as he apparently came from, didn't just pop into existence all that often here. It only happened in the world of fiction. "You're contradicting yourself."

"Oh don't worry about it too much," Rachael spoke up. The redhead narrowed her ice blue eyes at him. There was look of caution to her face that clearly stated she did not trust him at all. "May and I know all about you. Mr. Sasuke Uchiha."

"Yep, that's right," May chimed in with a title of her head. "We know all about you and your little quest for revenge."

Sasuke turned to glare coldly at May. "You do huh?"

"Sasuke, they know about the anime and well, Rachael was here after Benzaiten dropped you off," Jesse clarified. She looked between May and Sasuke nervously. "So put the eye daggers away."

Sasuke gave the brunette one more icy glare and then looked to Jesse. "Why are they here again?" he inquired dryly.

"For movie night. Duh," Jesse replied with a shrug. She frowned at him. "It's a time honor tradition among the three of us, okay? They'll be here for the night."

"Yep. Movies. Pop corn and tons of girl talk. Stuff you don't need to concern yourself with," May said off handedly with a wave of her hand like she was shooing him away.

"May," Rachael uttered in a warning tone. She looked to Sasuke. "We've been friends with Jess since middle school, so yes we're probably going to be here all night. Hope you don't mind."

"Whatever. It's not my house," Sasuke said heading towards the kitchen. He was going to grab himself a glass of water. He would tolerate their presences because they were close friends with Jesse. If he wanted to earn her trust he had to act like it didn't get under his skin that she invited them over without his permission.

"Charming as always," Jesse said sarcastically.

"I'd prefer it if you took these things up with me first," Sasuke said as he passed. "I am going to be living here after all."

"Maybe if you help cover half the rent," Jesse shot back wryly.

That stopped him in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder at the back of her. Was she joking?

Jesse felt his heated gaze because she then turned towards him. She smirked at him. "I'll make a note of it for the future, Sasuke."

Tonight was a triple Harry Potter feature: _Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone_ , _Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets_ , and _Harry Potter And the Prisoner Of Azkaban_. Jesse got the DVD player set up.

May claimed the recliner and threw her feet up with a pull of the lever. Surri called dibs on her lap.

"You can't tell that cat doesn't love you, huh?" Jesse laughed as Surri yawned lazily and curled up, her paws stretching out onto May's chest.

May cuddled the jungle cat. "I can't help it that she loves her Aunt May. Isn't that right, Surri, you little cutie pie?"

Surri just purred.

Rachael grabbed a bottle of hard cider and sat down on the couch. She took a swig and relaxed while the premiers began to roll. "So is your roommate going to join us?"

Jesse looked up to see Sasuke standing at the entrance of the hallway. He looked indifferent as always, but for some reason she felt an air of awkwardness around him. Like he didn't quite know what to do with himself. "You don't have to join us if you don't want to. Nobody is going to force you to watch movies with us."

She figured he would find something to keep himself busy and out of the way. After all, why would Mr. Anti-Social Uchiha, the great and almighty ninja want to watch movies with a bunch of women?

He seemed to ignore her whenever she turned on the TV. Not that she did it much these days. When the two of them weren't interacting she'd retired to her dining room to work on _Slithering Embrace_. For the most part he left her alone when she was writing. She was thankful for it.

He looked like he wanted to remove himself from the situation, but he said instead, "Why not? I've got nothing better to do."

Jesse raised an eyebrow at Sasuke. He was going to join them? "Okay… then," she replied and stood up to head over to the couch to plop down next to Rachael. She watched Sasuke take a seat on the floor looking bored. She couldn't helped but wonder why he wanted to sit down and watch a movie with them. It didn't seem like something he would take interest in.

The movie was almost three hours long. Jesse let herself become engrossed in the wonderful story and the magic created through CGI. She hadn't watched Harry Potter in so freaking long. There were several things she forgot about as they popped up in the movie. Of course during the movie her and May lapsed into their usual habit of making smart ass comments and poking fun at certain things.

Rachael ignored their banter. She was used to it by now. It actually helped during horror movie night when Jesse and May wanted to watch ghost stories because they made light of the seriously scary parts.

"I thought you said jutsu doesn't exist in your world," Sasuke inquired once the credits rolled at the end.

Jesse stretched. "It doesn't."

"Then what was with all of those moments in the movie when they were flying on broomsticks and using jutsu?" Sasuke asked. He sounded confused. Very confused by the whole role that CGI played.

"Wow, you don't watch a lot movies do you?" Rachael wanted to know amazed.

"We have movies in my world. I've just found better things to do with my time than go see them," Sasuke explained.

"It's CGI, Sasuke," Jesse explained. "Special Effects. They use a lot of green screen when making movies that involve magic and fantasy."

"CGI?"

"Computer generated imagines," May clarified. "It's the stuff I'm learning about in my classes right now. It's a big part of the move industry. There's computer programs that you can use to create 3D imagines and incorporate them against what's called a green screen to make it look the actors in the movies are actually interacting with the imagines created, like they're actually there."

"You can do that here?" Sasuke was surprised by the new piece of information. He looked floored by the concept.

"This world may not have magic, but as you have seen we're technologically ahead," Jesse replied with a shrug. "People here rely on technology instead of jutsu and chakra."

"Yep. Sooner or later our own lives are gonna be run by computers," May chimed in cheerfully. "Like in the Matrix!"

Rachael shuddered at the thought. "God, I hope not. Who the hell wants to be used as a human battery?" She shuddered again.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, obviously not understanding what they were talking about. Jesse smirked at the confusion on his face. "Another movie night, Sasuke. Maybe next time we should watch the Matrix so he can get the reference."

"Yeah! That would be awesome. Then we can watch Morpheus and Neo do that thing with the thing," May said excitedly.

Jesse and Rachael looked at her like she had grown two heads before bursting out laughing.

"You know the thing with the thing and that thing," Rachael went on, cracking up.

"And that thing at that time when you did that thing with that thing," Jesse added laughing.

Sasuke just look at the women, wondering if they knew how ridiculous they were sounding. "What the hell is so funny?"

The three friends were too busy cracking up to answer. He could only sit back and watch the absurdity play out, obviously missing the inside joke.

An sort of hollow ache resonated in his chest. An image of team seven in the old days flashed through his mind. It lingered for a brief moment and then gone. He looked at the three friends laughing, wondering why he was sitting there. With each step he took into darkness things like laughter and inside jokes among friends became further out of his reach.

Sasuke stood up and decided not to be apart of the festivities. He was a foreigner here. An outsider.

"Hey! Uchiha. I'm gonna be making dinner soon so don't wander off too far," Jesse called after him as he headed for the back porch. The warmth and cheer of laughter in her voice.

It made him pause. But he stopped himself from turning around and out the door he went.

"Do you think he'll accidentally wander out onto the highway and get hit by semi?" May asked jokingly once she thought the famous Emo ninja was out of sight.

"Well, considering that the overpass runs over a part of Tweed road I guess, it's possible," Jesse wondered out loud and shook her head. "But I doubt he'll stray too far."

"Ah, so does that means Mr. Bump-On-The-Log is going to join us for dinner too?" May wanted to know with a huff. "No offense, Jesse, but your anime crush is a class A asshole."

"That would be a pretty funny way for someone like Sasuke to go out. The Great and Almighty Emo Ninja died, hit by a semi!" Rachael announced with a flourish of her hand, before she drank from her bottle of hard cider.

"Oh, and the semi should be carrying explosives or something like that. He'd go out with a bang!" May added with a snicker of devilish delight.

"Come off of it, guys. He's real now. Not some doodle on a piece of paper," Jesse said heading into the kitchen to pull out the chicken.

"Since when does that stop us from making up scenarios of crazy ass deaths for people we don't like?" Rachael remarked as she and May followed Jesse into the kitchen. The Stone sisters took their seats at the breakfast nook as Jesse went about pulling the packages of chicken out of the bowl and preceded slicing them out of their packaging.

"Especially that warped Spanish teacher of ours," May said with a laugh. "Mrs. Hanson was the worst teacher in the history of teachers. 'Aye di me, Senorita Stone. Where is your homework?'"

"Half the time that woman had her French and Spanish mixed up during class. It was a wonder any of us freaking passed the final exam!" Rachael declared with a laugh. "God, I swear she totally ruined Spanish for me and I have to take it or another language before I can graduate with my bachelors."

"Well, at least in college you actually have to know what the hell you're talking about during class!" May pointed out with a crazy grin. She got up and went around the counter to go grab another Dr. Pepper from the refrigerator. "It's not like Mrs. Hanson retired from high school just to teach college later on right?"

Jesse pretended to shudder at the thought, "Dear God, that would be an nightmare. Imagine having the same exact loco headed peacock again after all these years! Go into class the first day and…. 'Hola Senorita Stone, como esta?'"

Rachael pretended to gag. "Blaugh! I think I would die right on the spot. It would be like: God! Why do you hate me so! Why?!"

Jesse laughed. Her voice echoing off the walls as the thought of such a nightmare coming to life flashed vividly in her head. That would be the ultimately insult to anyone who had thought they'd gotten rid of the most annoying Spanish teacher in existence.

"Oh snap!" She snapped fingers as she said it and laughed as May and Rachael laughed along with her. Good God, her friends were insane.

Sasuke retired to his room after dinner, leaving the three friends to continue their Harry Potter marathon. The night proceeded as it usually did for the three friends. More laughs, witty banter, getting buzzed- for Rachael it was from the hard cider and May and Jesse from the Dr. Pepper-, and staying up till around three or four in the morning.

Jesse went to bed exhausted and feeling pretty damn good. Surri curled up on the pillow next to her head, since she always left her bedroom door opened a crack, something she always did since she was little.

It was a long time habit of hers. Her bed always faced the door and since she was such a light sleeper, if she ever felt like something was trying to sneak into her room, she would sense it immediately. There were times in her childhood where she would awake out of a dead sleep and feel like something was watching her from the doorway. Sometimes she would even think she'd seen something.

Nowadays, it was just a silly habit and she knew there were no ghouls or ghosts or monsters wanting to creep into her room at night to attack her. Still…Even now, she would occasionally wake up with that feeling of something watching her from the shadows in the doorway. It didn't happen as often as much, but it did happen.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Sasuke Uchiha. He belongs to Kishimoto and the manga/anime of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. I am simply borrowing him for my own twisted amusement.

A/N: Hey everyone! First off, an thank you to **Wolfy-sama** for taking time to review. I'm glad you like it thus far. Also thank you to those who have clicked on the "favorite/follow" button. It really does make my day knowing there are readers who enjoy my work and want to keep reading to know what happens next. So without further a due here is Chapter Nine!

Chapter Nine

Set Backs

Jesse woke up around eight something. She went about her usual routine grabbing her glasses from the bathroom and then making herself a nice pot of coffee. This time, though, she made six cups extra because she knew Rachael and May appreciated the caffeinated beverage as much as she did.

She booted up her computer and shuffled through her notes. It would be some time before her friends woke up. She picked up the spot she last left off in her notes. She was at the tearful reunion of Lokesh and Whitney after he and the other warrior rescued her from the Red Mountain tribe's camp.

She reread over the previous chapter and the chapter she was currently working on. The quiet clicking of keys on the keyboard filled the dining room. She brought up her I-tunes library and scrolled through the options for music before she picked a album that would fit the mood she was trying to convey in the story. Tearful reunions were something she was familiar with.

Every time her little brother, Jamie, would arrived back in the states after spending a fair amount of time in the middle east, it would be like an enormous weight would be lift off her shoulders. The relief and happiness she would feel that he was one of the ones that came home not in a body bag was tremendous.

Jamie was twenty years old now and a technician for the army. He signed up for the army reserve right after graduating from high school. Most of his time was spent over seas, but over the last two years he was allowed to come home at least twice and each time Jesse had to restrain herself from making a scene. Her mother, on the other hand, always bawled every time they saw him stepped through that airport terminal with his satchel thrown over his shoulders, dressed in his camouflage uniform.

That feeling of "Oh thank God, you're alive and alright" always meant the world to Jesse. She tried to depict that when Lokesh laid eyes on Whitney and brought her back to the underground home of the Golden Eyes tribe. It was such a hard emotion to depict because unleash you had been through it yourself, you couldn't comprehend what it felt like to worry day in and out whether your loved one would be sent home alive or in one of those dark caskets with the U.S. flag draped over it.

Jesse dank the last few gulps out of her cup and got up to go refill her mug.

She felt Surri wrap herself body around one of her legs. She smiled at the Bengal as she meowed up at her. The base of Surri's tail shook with excitement as Jesse went about getting her treats. She sat back on her hunches as Jesse knelt down.

"Do you want a treaty, sweet heart?" Jesse teased in a baby-voice. Surri put her paws on her hand as she tried to get the treat from her owner. Jesse let her have it, wincing as her baby kitten's teeth got one of her fingers. "Such a good girl."

Jesse gave Surri a kiss on the head after she was done chewing and gave her a pet along her spine. "Little goober." She stood up to find Sasuke watching her.

"Oh, you're up early," Jesse greeted him as she climbed back to her feet.

"I usually get up this early," Sasuke stated as he walked past her. He opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water.

Jesse studied him. She wondered… "If I bought tea would you drink it?" she inquired as she poured some more creamer and dumped a spoon full of sugar into her coffee mug.

Sasuke looked at her. "Why?"

"You strike me as a tea drinker."

"Chi is alright. Green tea is acceptable too."

"I'll buy some at the store today then. It's grocery day today anyways," Jesse explained with a shrug.

"Grocery day, huh?" Sasuke said thoughtful as he took a swig off his water bottle. He seemed to think on something. "You and your friends were loud last night. I barely slept."

"That's what fun sounds like, Sasuke," Jesse countered with a smirk. She proceeded back into the dining room.

"Writing again?" Sasuke called after her. His voice was indifferent as he said it, but his following after her told Jesse he was curious.

"Yeah. What about it?"

It's not like you can understand what I'm typing anyway, Jesse thought with dismay. Not that she wanted him reading anything she wrote. He would probably dismiss it or say her work was complete garbage.

"What is it about? Your writing," Sasuke asked taking a seat at her dining room table as she sat back down at the computer.

She swizzled in her chair so she could study his face. "Why the sudden interest?"

Sasuke merely shrugged. Jesse made a face at him. "Really? That's your answer?"

"I don't have to explain myself," he shot back.

Jesse scowled at him. "Then I don't have to explain what my book is about," she remarked as turned her chair back to the computer scene. She felt his eyes burrowing into the back of her head as she started typing away at the transcript in front of her.

Tak. Tak. Pause. Tak… Tak.

The muscles in her shoulders tightened as he just continued to stare at her back.

Tak. Pause. Tak…. Tak.

Oh good Lord, she couldn't type when someone was watching her.

He wasn't saying anything to disturb her, but him just being there… It was getting underneath her skin.

"Is there something you want?" Jesse wanted to know. She tried to keep the growl of annoyance out of her voice.

" No. Just watching."

Her shoulders stiffened. He was just watching? Oh good God…

She tried to resume her typing and ignore him.

Tak… Tak… Tak. Tak.

Okay, she so couldn't do this!

"Sasuke," Jesse started out, that first hint of irritation giving her voice an edge. "Do you mind going somewhere else?

He didn't response at first. "Why?"

She turned halfway in her chair. "Nothing personal, but I just have a thing about people watching me while I type."

Sasuke gave her a look.

"So…" She continued when he didn't move. "I'm sure you can find something else to entertain yourself with."

Sasuke studied her for a long moment. "Your parents… I need to know what I'm in for." He shifted in his seat like the subject of the matter was making him uncomfortable.

That's right. Tomorrow, Jesse was planning on introducing her new roommate to her folks. Even the idea of Sasuke meeting her crazy family made her a little nauseous. Mostly because she was basically lying to her dad and her mother's face about who Sasuke was and how they became friends.

Jesse leaned back in her chair and frowned. Her mother was nosy. Like really nosy. She'd want to know everything about who Sasuke was, why he was good friends with her daughter, and how they met, and just what were his plans during his stay here.

Jesse had tried her best to be vague and yet answers her mother and her dad's question to the best of her ability on Wednesday night when she came over for dinner and to do her laundry. It had been one of the most nerve-wracking experiences in her life, having to make up a well detailed background story of how she knew Sasuke and why he decided to up and leave "his life in San Diego" just to experience something different in a small town outside of Eerie, Pennsylvania. Even she admitted her story had a bunch of holes in it. Seriously, why would some random guy whose supposedly only known her a year and half, decide to leave everything behind to come live with a woman he barely knew all the way across the country?

"We seriously need to work on this," Jesse admitted, cringing at the thought of what her parents would think of Sasuke and his attitude. It was going to be awkward, especially considering the fact he had lost his family so early on in life. She didn't know how he was going to react to meeting her folks or how it was going to make him feel seeing someone who had everything he lost.

"I've been meaning to address the whole friend issues between us. You told your folks we're friends right?" Sasuke said giving her a level look.

"Yeah…" She had a feeling she knew where this was going.

"What kind of a man would just up and leave everything behind to live with a woman across the country? It makes no sense," Sasuke pointed out.

Jesse opened her mouth to argue, but couldn't find a reason as to why anybody would do that unless they were head over heels in love with that person, or there was a helluva good opportunity for them here that they couldn't find back where they came from. Her stomach churned uncomfortably.

"You haven't thought this through," Sasuke insisted. "No one is going to believe this story unleash you cover all the bases."

"I know. I know. Alright? I know," Jesse agreed agitated. "I mean, just what could Belbo or Erie offer some one from San Diego? San Diego is a city. There are more opportunities there than there are here. I think anyways… I don't know… People move for all sorts of reasons. Love. Job opportunities. Chances at a better education. A change of scenery."

"What is supposed to be my reason?"

"A change of scenery is what I told my folks," Jesse replied. Hell, they had discussed this already and Sasuke sounded just as skeptical and resistant to the whole reasoning as to why he "moved" from where he was supposedly from.

"That's not a good enough reason."

"Why the hell not?"

"People don't just up and move so they can have change of scenery."

"Yes they do."

"And you know this how?"

Sasuke had her there. Jesse frowned and contemplated. Being a writer meant constantly living in someone else's head, writing from a different view point than your own. Even if the character had some of your personality traits, it wasn't still entirely you. So why would Sasuke want to move from San Diego to Eerie?

Change of scenery…

Because Belbo rested on the very edge of Eerie in a different climate. The great lakes were in the temperate forest zone of the globe, while San Diego's climate was arid dessert. Erie sat along Lake Erie, hence the name. The activities here was different. Hell, the pace of life was different. Erie wasn't a big bustling metropolis. There weren't as many jobs here, granted unlike San Diego. Maybe. Jesse's really didn't know. She haven't done research to compare Erie's job market to San Diego's yet to support such a idea.

So why else would Sasuke move? A chance for a different experience in education perhaps?

Jesse carefully looked Sasuke over. He was eighteen and for most kids in her world that meant fresh out of high school. Most kids took the traditional college route, but some went right into the work force.

And that was another thing… Jesse knew her dad was going to ask Sasuke if he started job searching yet. They could play if off like he was, but without the proper paperwork and citizenship or green card it would be impossible for him to get a job while he was staying here.

Her father took financial responsibility seriously. It was a subject he nagged her about constantly throughout her teenage years and into adulthood. It was why she kept her checkbook balanced. It was why she created a budget plan that left very little room to screw herself over with.

Her dad would expect Sasuke to help with rent money. He would expect him to make life easier for her financially. He would expect him to have the drive to get a job while he was staying with her.

Jesse groaned and ran her hands through her hair. Keeping things at peace between Sasuke and her parents was going to be a challenge. He wasn't going to be use to nagging parents. Her dad popped in from time to time to surprised her on every now and then, and her mother? Well, she talked with her mother on the phone on a day to day basis.

Well, except for this week….

Jesse frowned. She hadn't called her mother since Thursday, and her excuse was pretty damn legit. Having an new roommates was a big change of pace!

"Alright, Mr. Wise Man. Why would you move all the across the country then?" Jesse demanded. Might as well get his input.

Sasuke thought on it. "The only reason I can think of would be that there might some chemistry there between us and I wanted to test it out."

"Say what now?"

"You and I, according to what you told your parents, have been friends over what? A year or so, right?" Sasuke reasoned. He smirked. "It's safe to say, in reality I wouldn't just give up my life for something so trivial as a change of scenery to move. I need something more powerful as a reason than that, to give up everything I ever knew to come live with some girl I never met in person."

Was he trying to get at what she thought he was getting at? She shook her head hastily. "Oh no. No."

"Be practical, Jesse," Sasuke said. That evil smirk on him face. "How well do you know me from this cartoon of yours? What could this whole adventure offer to someone like me?"

"It's all about you, isn't it, Sasuke?" Jesse retorted with a eye roll. Of course, he would look at their situation that way. The guy was beyond self centered. "Self centered prick."

Sasuke sat there in silence for a moment. The indifference slipping for a moment. "I'm trying to be practical."

"Oh yes. Why of course you are," Jesse hissed sarcasm dripping off every word.

"Why are you so against the idea of us pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend as an explanation for why I'm here?" He sounded genuinely curious.

"Sasuke. You're not the romantic type. You're anything but that. You would never take the time for a girl unless you could use her in some way. You're not above manipulating people," Jesse replied bluntly. Her feminist side was rearing its head. "I don't date that kind of guy. My parents know this. My friends know this. I need some one I can rely on. Someone who puts others before himself… Someone who cares about my personal well being. You don't do that. Hell, you freaking put Sakura under a 'death' genjutsu just so she wouldn't get in the way during your and Naruto's battle, even when she confessed she still had feelings for you even after all the shit you've pulled. I ain't that stupid."

A look of shock broke through the mask of indifference Sasuke always wore. Heck, even his mouth hung open a little. It was like she just punched through his defense and found his weak spot. She basically called him out.

"How much do you know of what happened before I was sent here?" There was a sort of desperate plea in his voice when he finally found it.

"I kept up with the manga on a regular basis. Once a month. It was my favorite series after all, so yes I know about the whole Sage of Six Paths and Kaguya battle. You only ever had respect for one person, besides Itachi, in your life: Naruto. And you were planning on killing him in the end so you alone could be the one to carry the burden of hatred! You told the Sage of Six Paths this yourself."

An long silence engulfed the room. Sasuke visibly shuddered. How could someone know so much about him?

She shouldn't know that much…. She had no right to know that much!

Without warning Sasuke grabbed the chair he was sitting in and throw it. It banged into the wall and toppled to the floor with a crash.

Jesse immediately put her chair between herself and Sasuke as he came undone right before her eyes. Rage warped his face as he stared her down like a wild animal.

"You're not supposed to know about that! How the fuck do you know about that?! You weren't there! You shouldn't know about that!" He screamed at her, like it was her fault he couldn't hanble the truth of the matter.

He wanted to throttle her for knowing too much!

Instead of going after the woman that his anger was targeted at, Sasuke punched the wall. His fist went right through the plaster.

"What the hell is going on- Holy fucking shit?!" Rachael's startled voice came next. She and May stood the in doorway to the dining room.

An ominous tension filled the air as everyone took stock of what just happened. Rachael's eyes flickered between Sasuke's rigid form and Jesse who had back herself up against her computer desk, her chair in front of her like it might in some way protect her from Sasuke's wrath.

Sasuke panted, his mind swimming with emotions: distrust, rage, confusion, loathing, and disbelief. Such a potent mix that his senses were threatening to shut down. His eyes stayed fixated on Jesse who was griping her chair in a white-knuckle grip. Her eyes wide with fear and horror. The color had completely drained away and he could tell on a subconscious level he had fucked up big time.

"What the hell happened?" Rachael's angry voice thundered through the air.

He stiffened upon hearing it, the sheer pitch of her voice making him wince.

"Oh my god," May gasped in a breathy voice. "Jess! Are you okay?"

Jesse had difficulty answering at first. Her mind screaming at her to stay completely still. Don't make any sudden movement or else who knew what else Sasuke would try to do! This was why she knew Benzaiten's hair brain plan wouldn't work. Sasuke was just too temperamental. He was emotional fucked up to Hell and back. He didn't know how to handle overwhelming situations like this without becoming dangerous.

Her throat was tight with fear and her heart pounded loudly inside her chest. Shit. Shit!

Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. She could have been hurt. He could have literally hurt her! This was too dangerous! Just too damn dangerous!

"I… I can't do this," Jesse uttered, her voice shaky and cracking. "I can't." She dropped to her knees, still gripping the chair like it was the only thing stopping her from falling apart. "I can't do this. There's no fucking way this is going to work."


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Sasuke Uchiha. He belongs to Kishimoto and the manga/anime of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. I am simply borrowing him for my own twisted amusement.

Chapter Ten

Confession Time

"I… I can't do this. There's no fucking way this is going to work!"

Distain filled Sasuke's chest as Jesse admitted defeat without even a struggle. He glowered down her quivering figure behind the chair. "One display of violence and you give up just like that, huh? How pathetic."

"Pathetic?! You fucking creep! You scared the living shit out of her, you ungrateful son of a bitch!" Rachael shouted at him from behind, her voice bordering on a annoying shriek. "She lets you take up residence here. Let's you eat her food, buy clothes for your ungrateful ass! Don't you fucking dare talk to her like that!"

"This doesn't concern you, so back the fuck off!" Sasuke snapped at Rachael, hoping to silence her annoying shrieking. "If your friend can't hanble the heat, she shouldn't have accepted that damn goddess's offer in the first place."

"Accepted?! She was forced into this, you fucking-?!"

"Rachael shut up! Just shut the hell up, alright?!" Jesse's voice pierced through her rant, making it die in the back of Rachael's throat.

Rachael and Sasuke turned to Jesse. Carefully, she eased herself into a standing position. Her eyes were red rimmed with tears as they ran down her face. An look of fear and outrage clear on her face as day.

"You punched a fucking hole in my goddamn wall, you ass! How was I supposed to fucking act, huh?" Jesse screamed at him. Her fear replaced by a righteous fury at the mere thought of him walking all over her pride. "Just pretend it's no big deal and wait for you do something else violent?! Of course I'm going to freak! It's what every **normal** person would do unleash they're that goddamn stupid!"

She straightened up fully, the tears still running down her face. But instead of fear the tears were from anger. "Just because you're emotional unstable gives you no fucking right to trash my dining room! I have a good mind to kick you ass out on the street right now."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her. Was she bluffing? Was she all bark and no bite? She was sure putting on a brave front considering the fact she was nearly ready to fall apart only moments earlier. "Then why don't you? If I'm that big of a threat why don't you get rid of me right here and now?"

Jesse ran her hands through her hair and uttered a frustrated cry. "God, listen to you! Why are you such a fucking ass?!" She grimaced and wiped away at the tears furiously. "Man, this bites. Why couldn't that fucked up goddess of love pick some other _Naruto_ fangirl for this? You're like a rollercoaster ride! I seriously don't need this right now."

"Um… Maybe we should let the police hanble it?" May suggested from where she was safely across the room, halfway hidden behind Rachael. Both sisters were ready to kick this nuisance onto the nearby highway for treating their friends the way he was. He deserved to be run over big time.

"May… with all due respect, please shut up," Jesse snapped. Her friend instantly recoiled from the biting words.

"Seriously Jesse. Taking this out on us isn't going to change the fact that Uchiha here is dangerous. He needs to be out of here and now. He'll hurt you!" Rachael declared with a indignation. "Who cares what that… that goddess told you! Guys like him don't change. He'll use you. He's bad news, Jess. Get rid of him!"

Jesse scowled up a storm. Her eyes were still blurry from unshed tears that somehow found their way up to the surface after she wiped the old ones away. She wanted to cry. She wanted to cry, and scream, and throw things. Most of all she wanted this nightmare to end.

Why did reality suck so bad? She would be stupid to say that she wanted her time with Sasuke to be like in the fanfictions where he instantly fell for the girl as soon as he came to her world, but why couldn't things at least be a little bit simpler? Why did reality have to zap all of the fun out of what could be an amazing thing?

After all, she had her favorite anime character of all times living with her right now. And yet all they seem to do was bicker with each other. And when they weren't bickering, Sasuke was ignoring her.

She stared down Sasuke as he stood through in the middle of her dining room, cold and aloof as he was in the anime and manga. And just as deadly and beautiful…

"Why does reality gotta be such a bitch?" Jesse heard herself ask out loud. She smiled bitterly when the question seen to take Sasuke by surprised. At least she had a habit of surprising the crap out of him. That's more than what Sakura and Karin had ever done when they were around him…. Bragging rights for her.

She took a deep shaky breath and gave Sasuke a hard leveled look. "Alright, tough guy. If you think you're so high and mighty, you tell me… You want to stay here and give changing for the better a shot or…" She gestures towards the doorway. " Can you waltz out that doorway and out of my life because you think you can cut on your own. After all you're going to be here for a year, right? And as such a powerful and resourceful ninja that you are, I'm sure you're more than capable of surviving on your own for that amount of time with no trouble at all. After all what do you have to loose, right? You'll be sent home… Away from me, my world. You'll get your precious jutsu back and everything will be back the way it was, right? You and your miserable self, all alone just like you wanted."

An cold spike of dread pierced through Sasuke's heart. What did he have to loose?

Everything…

Everything he ever worked for till now…

If he didn't succeed in wooing Jesse Wilds, that damn goddess would make sure he would never get his jutsu back, his power back. There was slim chance he could find a way to get his power if he was returned back to his world as he was now. He supposed he could seek out Orochimaru again and use him to find a way to retrieve it from wherever she sealed it away, but the odds didn't seem in his favor at the moment.

He swallowed the sudden knot that formed in his throat. Jesse just had to remind him how much was at stake, didn't she? Damn her. He tried to maintain his mask of indifference, but it was grumbling quickly.

"I need talk to you. Alone," Sasuke said in a harsh voice. His emotions were starting to threaten to overwhelm him again. He didn't want her friends to over hear this. For once in his life he was going to swallow his pride and tell the truth.

"You lost that privilege when you put the hole in my wall," Jesse retorted dryly. Her arms were wrapped around her waist, protectively.

"This isn't for them to hear," He implored her. "I… I need to speak with you privately. It's important."

"And then speak. Rachael and May aren't going anywhere," Jesse shot back harshly. Her words were cutting away at his defenses. They bit into his flesh, sliced through that cold armor he wore. "Whatever you got to say you can say it in front of them."

Sasuke remained silence for a long while. His eyes narrowing as he studied her. She was serious about this. She didn't trust him at all. Not that he had done anything to earn that trust. She stood there in front of him and for the first time in his life he realize just how intimidating a woman could be.

"It's true that goddess sent me here for a year so I can change for the better," he began quietly. His fists unclenched and then clenched. Kami, this was going to painful to admit. He worked on getting the words out. "Apparently how I conducted myself is appalling to the almighty goddess of love. My goal is to become to the very definition of what it means to be hokage, the one in the shadows who shoulders all of the world's hatred just so there can be peace, just like Itachi did after he was forced to slaughter my clan for the sake of the village. I don't deserve any chances to redeem myself and I accept that. But that stupid goddess doesn't understand my endeavors apparently. She brought me here and sealed away my jutsu. I…"

Sasuke didn't know how to explain the next part without sounding absolutely ridiculous. "She not only sent me here to redeem myself. I'm supposed to change for the better and the only way by doing that is…" His mask dropped and just for a moment he look how he felt showed: the shame, the frustration, the fear, the anger. "I have to get you to fall in love with me. If I can't by the time the year is up not only will I be sent back to my world but I will be sent back as an ordinary man, my power gone. Sealed away forever. I will never get it back."

Shock radiated through the room. Silence followed afterwards. Sasuke stared down Jesse, waiting. Her eyes were wide with shock, her face blank at first. Then a smile began to creep onto her lips.

Jesse started laughing. Her laughter rose up breaking the tension. Sasuke just gawked at her. Why was she laughing? It wasn't funny. None of this was funny. He just told her his greatest weakness.

"It's not funny," he said angrily.

"Oh, but isn't it? That damn Benzaiten has some fucking nerve!" Jesse cackled. "You really got the short end of the stick here, bub! I can't believe this. She has us both in the palm of her hands, huh? You without your jutsu and me with my life tied to yours and supposedly having my long time wish finally realized… God, this is so fucking ridiculous, it's hysterical!"

Rachael couldn't believe this. Jesse was still willing to let that bastard live with her after the kind of bullshit he just pulled on her. "I hope you're not developing a Sakura complex, Jesse, because this still reeks of a very bad idea to me," she said bluntly later on.

"Yeah. I mean, look what he did to your wall," May added with a huff as Rachael secured the bandage around Jesse's right hand. "Not to mention your hand. The guy is mental. He belongs in a asylum."

After everything had calm down and Jesse was done laughing her ass off at the stupidity of their situation, she soon discovered that Sasuke had injured his hand when he punched through the plaster of her dining room wall. Some of the scratches were shallow, but there was also some skin taken off in the process. Because of their "bond" the damage was reflected on Jesse's hand as well.

This caused her to cuss Sasuke out for being so damn reckless. Sasuke had seem to take the verbal abuse well enough. He excused himself to wrap his hand, leaving Jesse to deal with the aftermath. Naturally, Rachael and May- the awesome friends they were- stepped in and helped.

"Well, he's definitely not scoring any brownie points," Jesse commented and winced at the tightening of the bandage. She lifted her hand and examined the wrapping. "You do a good job, Rachael. Maybe you should look into being a nurse."

"I still think this a bad idea," Rachael argued with a huff. "I don't want to see you get yourself into a abusive relationship with him. Just because he's been your long time standing anime crush doesn't mean you two are going to end up having a white wedding and a house with a white picket fence and two-and-a half kids and a dog, Jess."

"Who the heck said I ever wanted that?" Jesse wanted to know in a teasing voice.

"I'm being serious!" Rachael snapped. She glared at her best friend. Jesse tended to make lights of things that were bothering her and Rachael knew this was a big deal to her. A very big deal. That damn goddess had upped the stakes and now Jesse's teenage dream of having the chance to win over the legendary Emo ninja's heart was within reach.

All anime fan girls at one point and time wishes to meet their favorite anime crushes and fall head over heels in love. It was something you did. Especially when you were a preteen/teenage. It was foolish, but every teens daydreamed about something like that. For Rachael, she had day dreamed off and now about meeting either Ichigo from _Bleach_ or Trowa Barton from _Gundam Wing_.

Hell, once upon a time she participated in writing fanfictions about it with May and Jesse. Her sister and best friend did all the writing of course. Rachael was never talented in that department, but she would sit back and delight in the process as their little _Gundam Wing_ fanfiction of how they meet the five gundam pilots unfolded.

She never expected that it could happen in real life, but as a teen as you could dream as much as you wanted. The reality of what it meant to grow up and become a adult hadn't started to sink in yet. And now, well… She knew for a fact that whatever that weird magic Japanese goddess had done to make this whole strangeness possible wasn't going to work out well in the end.

Jesse and Sasuke were from two separate worlds. They were from two separate cultures and they grew up in completely different situations. Boys like Sasuke didn't changed. He was too dangerous for her best friend to hanble and they both knew it for crying out loud!

"It's never going to work out," Rachael said firmly as she helped Jesse go about making a brunch. The girls were planning on having pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs. She noticed Jesse just hummed. "Don't even think about it."

"Who says I'm going to fall for him, Rachael?" Jesse pointed out with frying pan on her hand. "As much as I like Sasuke as a character, I know the difference between infatuation and love."

"Not to mention obsession I hope," Rachael countered.

"Touche`," Jesse replied with a shrug. She winced using her bad hand as she started cracking eggs into a bowl.

"Here, let me do it. You just sit down, Jess, and let us take care of it," May offered, taking the egg carton away from Jesse who made a face at her in protest. "Go on. Go sit down, silly. Let May-May do this for you."

Jesse sighed in defeat. "Fine." She grabbed a water bottle out of the refrigerator and pulled a chair up at the counter that separated the breakfast nook from the rest of the kitchen. She smiled. "You guys have to be the greatest friends on the face of the Earth."

"And you better not ever forget it, chica!" Rachael shot back.

"Damn straight!" May declared with a grin. "We **are** the greatest friends a girl could have on the face of the Earth!"

Lunch went by without incident. Sasuke didn't show up, and Rachael and May could enjoy their meal in peace. Although in the back of Rachael's mind she knew something would have to be done to make sure Sasuke knew that her and May wouldn't sit idly by and let him ruin their best friend's life.

"I think May and I should stay over this up-coming week. What do you think?" Rachael proposed while they were finishing up eating.

Jesse paused chewing and looked over a Rachael with a raised eyebrow. She studied Rachael for a long moment. "Okay?"

The word "okay" was drawn out. Jesse's way of asking Rachael what the hell she was planning. Rachael smiled, although it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Well, considering you're rooming with a dangerous ninja, May and I should help keep an eye on things you know."

May brightened up at the suggestion. "Oh! Yeah. That's an awesome idea. We could like play chaperon and help reform him too! I mean, three is always better than one, right? Oh, and if he doesn't shape up we could find some dirty laundry on him via internet and threaten to blackmail him!"

Jesse scowled at May's enthusiasm. "I don't know… I mean, I could probably use a hand in helping him adjust to this world, but I don't think he'll take well to the idea of being supervised. And honestly, you can't blackmail him in this dimension because that goddess didn't bring anybody from his world with him. Maybe if she had sent Naruto here, then you could threaten to blackmail Sasuke with all the fan art of him and Naruto all over the web."

Jesse sighed in dismay and twirled her fork between her fingers, thoughtfully . "I appreciate your guys' concern. You're really good friends for wanting to help and all, but this would have to be something I would have to discuss with Sasuke."

"Why? He's been nothing but a pain in the ass since he got here. You shouldn't need his approval for your friends to stay over," Rachael shot back hotly. She snorted. Jesse should come down hard on Sasuke for what he put her through so far. She was being too lenient, in her opinion.

Jesse lapsed into thought for a long while. She turned over the idea of Rachael and May helping out. Yes, having more hands on deck would be good thing. The idea of reforming Sasuke all on her own was frightening. Even with this bond between them, Sasuke tended to be a ticking time bomb. And it seemed whenever she brought up things that happened in the anime, like really traumatic things, he became emotionally volatile.

Then there was the whole deal the Goddess made him… In order for him to return to his world with his jutsu in tact he had to get Jesse to fall in love with him. And if she knew anything about Sasuke was once he put his mind to something he would follow through. The thought of falling in love with the Sasuke Uchiha was both thrilling and terrifying. Her stomach churned uncomfortably.

Sasuke wouldn't no love if it came up and bit him in the ass! He knew nothing about how to treat girls right. He was so used to using people. He wasn't caring at all and he always put his needs first before others. He was selfish, ruthless, pig headed, and temperamental.

Jesse sighed. Her work was cut out for her. She had no idea what to do about the ordeal presented to her. She always wanted a chance to fall in love with Sasuke, but she had fallen for the bad boy before and experience taught her how stupid of a idea that was. She needed a working healthy relationship and Sasuke couldn't give that to her.

But that didn't mean he wouldn't pursue her…. There was a lot at stake for him and he didn't back down from a challenge.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Sasuke Uchiha. He belongs to Kishimoto and the manga/anime of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. I am simply borrowing him for my own twisted amusement.

Chapter Eleven

Time To Play Meet The Parents

Sasuke wasn't happy. Hell, he was pissed!

Jesse smirked at him, while twirling her fork in one hand. "Thems the breaks, Uchiha," she said at dinner time later that day.

He spent the entire afternoon exploring the woods outback behind his host's house to relieve some of the frustration building up inside him of, and work out the stiffness in his body. Jesse seemed to have a knack at finding and pressing all his buttons. And now she threw _this_ in his lap too.

Sasuke tried to refrain from doing something violent. It was an effort not to snap his spoon in half. He glared down the woman with the mocking grin on her face. She enjoyed pissing him off!

"How long are _**they**_ planning on staying here?" he asked in a low growling voice. _They_ was referring to her meddlesome friends, the Stone sisters. Apparently, all three women had convened together while he was out cooling his temper, and thought it would be best if Rachael and May stayed over for a while with them just to… keep an eye on things. He seethed. Why were women so damn conniving at times?

"For the next week," Jesse said in a matter of fact voice. She twirled her fork absently. "By the way, I bought some stuff at the hardware store for you to fix the wall with."

Sasuke tried to count to ten to cool his jets, but he stopped at five, failing miserably. Damn it! "Who the hell said I was going to fix that?"

"I did. You break it, you fix it. Rule number one," Jesse clarified with an flourish of her hand. He gave her an icy glare that made her flinch. "Don't give me that evil look. You can't go around putting holes in other people's wall, sweet cheeks, and if you want to stay here and get me to "fall in love" with you as you put it, you're gonna have to pitch in. Earn your worth."

Were all women this much trouble or was Jesse one of those girls who knew how to get underneath people's skin?

"Earn my worth?" Outrage filled him voice clear as day. His voice rose up high a few notches at the mention of her putting him to work.

"Hey, you punched a goddamn hole in my fucking wall. Of course I'm going to make you freaking fix it," Jesse replied venom hanging off ever word. It was her turn to glower. "You want to get me to fall for you so you can get your precious jutsu back, right? There are some basic rules you're going have to follow here, bub. Rule number one is if I ask you to do something to help out around the house, I expect it to be done."

"I'm not your handy man."

"Tough shit. You are now." Unless he never fixed anything in his damn life. Jesse hadn't thought about that. Sasuke had always been dedicated to training and achieving his revenge, whatever form that took, so he probably knew next to nothing on home repair. "I'll have to teach you, of course. I am an country girl after all and daddy didn't raise me not to know how to fix things in my own home."

It was true. Whenever her mom made a "honey to do" list for her dad, she always was called in to help. Her father wanted to make sure his daughter knew how to handle basic problems around the house like clogged drains, fixing door frames, switching out light bulbs, building additional decks, disassembling the vacuum cleaners, replacing windows and siding of the house, and the like.

"Rule number two, you're going have to pass the friend test of approval. That means you gotta play nice with Rachael and May," Jesse went on. She chewed thoughtfully. Dinner consisted of left over pork chops and mixed vegetables. "If you can't impress them, you have little chance of impressing me. Rule number three, you gonna have to pass the parent test. My parents want a guy that's going to look after their daughter and treat her well."

Sasuke grimaced. She was absolutely serious about this. "Whatever it takes then." Huh. She was actually laying out guidelines for him. Was that a good thing?

He smirked. "You're actually cooperating with this whole madness?"

Jesse thought it over. Was she? "I'm not saying this is going to work out in the end, you understand. I don't like flings. They're evil little things that leave you raw and disappointed in yourself. And you, sir, are only going to be here for a year after all, so there's really no cause for me to fall in love with you."

Sasuke titled his head and regarded Jesse. She was giving him guidelines and yet saying it wouldn't work out. "You're contradicting yourself again." He leaned forward on the table, narrowing his eyes at her. "Either you're going to try this with me or else there's really no point in me even pursuing you."

Jesse huffed and began playing with the end of her ponytail. Her nose scrunched up in dismay. He could tell she was having a hard time deciding what she wanted from him.

She remained quiet for a long while and glared down at her food like it offended her. She was clearly disputing with herself over something that much Sasuke was sure of. What made this so difficult for her anyways? Most girls would jump at the chance to have a fling with him. Hell, Sakura would probably be stumbling all over herself if he offered her such a chance to date him.

"What makes this such a difficult decision for you?" Sasuke said having enough of her indecision. His patience was thin right now and he couldn't stop the annoyance from leaking into his voice. She shot him a glare. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Jesse pulled her fingers loose from her ponytail and snatched up her plate to go dump it into the garbage. "What's the worst that could happen? What's the worst that could happen? Fuck! Are you that dense or what?!" she raved agitated. "Honestly, why are guys like you so fucking dumb anyway? Is your entire head shoved up so far up your ass you can't see how much suffering you put girls through that do fall for you?"

She stomped into the kitchen, muttering to herself. He only caught a few words, but none of them were pleasant. Whatever made she so bitter about guys was beyond him.

"Let's just say for conversation's sake that I do fall in love with you," Jesse said after shewas finished. She walked over to the counter that separated them. She was distancing herself from him, creating a barrier between them. "What do you think is going to happen once the year is up, your powers are restored, and that goddess comes to take you home?"

Sasuke hadn't thought about that. She had him there. He analyzed the way she leaned against the counter, her eyes searching his face. It was as if she was daring him to say something to prove the point she was trying to drive home. He could say what was really on his mind. "So? You'll get over it and move on with your life," but that would not impress her. He needed to lure her into a false sense of security. Trick her into thinking she might stand a chance at wining his heart. He needed her to trust him.

That bitterness she has is going to obstacle, he decided. She knows me too well. But maybe I can surprise her. Say something she wants to hear, but doesn't expect me to say of all people.

He smirked and put an teasing tone in his voice. "Depends. Maybe I might end up falling head over heels myself."

Jesse felt her jaw drop in disbelief. Oh no…. No. No! Sasuke Uchiha was so not suggesting that… He would sooner jump off a cliff than entertain the idea of falling in love. He wasn't capable of such a thing. Hell, it went against his very personality profile.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny." She wagged her finger at him with an uneasy smile. "You sir, are freaking hilarious."

Her response caught him off guard. He analyzed the wary grin. She didn't believe him. Not that she had reason to. "What? Don't you think I'm capable of falling in love?"

Jesse's smile went flat. Her eyes studied him. "Sasuke, you are a very good lair. You've proven that time and time again. You're good at covering your ass. So no, I don't believe you."

Fair enough. Again, she was proving just how intelligent she really was. Most girls would have fallen into that trap. He regarded her cool demeanor. She had experience then. Considering how old she was, he should have guessed that she might have had a boyfriend or two by now. It would explain the bitterness when she spoke. She had developed a trust issues.

"I might end up proving you wrong then," he said finally. There was lot at stake here. He was going have to learn how to play the game and fast if he ever wanted what was rightfully his back.

Jesse narrowed her eyes at him. "And just how are you planning on doing that, huh?"

"By fixing that goddamn hole I punched in your fucking wall," he quoted, using her words against her. He could do this. He would get this women to fall in love with him.

Jesse couldn't sleep that night. Not at all. Her mind kept on going through different scenarios how Sasuke's first meeting with her parents was going to turn out. There were so many ways it go wrong, horribly wrong. Sasuke had a chip on his shoulder and her parents would probably see right through any ruse.

Maybe it was her anxiety talking, but she was scared shitless. She tossed and turned in bed, trying to relax, trying to not think, but no, her mind wouldn't shut off. It kept going and going. What if this happened or what if that happened? Would her parents like Sasuke? Could Sasuke pull off playing the role of an ordinary kid supposedly raised in her world? Could he pretend not to have a chip on his shoulder?

Jesse had told her parents that Sasuke was a nice kid, but quiet. Which seemed like a fairly good description, but telling them about him and them meeting him were totally different things. After how today went, Jesse was second guessing everything. There was a lot riding on this. Her parents were very involved in her life. Hell, they were the center of her world, even though she moved out seven months ago!

The clock read two in the morning. She gave up trying to get some sleep. Her mind was way too wound up. Maybe she should put that Tension Tamer tea to the test. Nancy did say it worked wonders with her stress and anxiety.

The microwave hummed in the dim lighting that was emitted from the light fixture installed above the stove top. The neon green cup with hippy peace signs and orange flowers on it, turned round and round inside.

Jesse went into the dining room. Her computer flashed to life as she turned on the computer tower. She listened to the tower hum and groan, while she waited for the water to heat up. Maybe a couple of hours writing would settle her nerves.

The desk top came on, displaying the tardis spinning through the tunnels of time. You can't tell she was big nerd, could you?

Jesse heard the microwave beat. She moved back into the kitchen and took out the mug.

"Oh! Hot! Hot!" she said trying not to burn herself as she set the mug down on the counter, and fished through one of the cupboards for the tea she bought after Rachael and May left.

She had gone grocery shopping by herself. She had been glad for some alone time to figure out what to do about the Sasuke Uchiha situation. She found the Celestial Seasons, Tension Tamer fair easily enough when she arrived in the coffee and creamer aisle. She made sure to grab the chi and green tea for Sasuke while she was at it.

Ssuke was going to be staying with her for a year, so she thought if she tried to get stuff he wanted he wouldn't have reason to complain about her abilities as a hostess. Maybe… She didn't know if that was really her true reasoning or not.

It still boggled Jesse's mind that she had _the_ Sasuke Uchiha living with her. She was so torn inside about the whole situation it wasn't funny. The big part of her mind, the rational part reminded her time and time again that he would only be staying in her world for a year and he was only using her to get his powers back. This was _Sasuke Uchiha_ she was talking about after all.

But then there's was that little voice in the back of her mind… Her inner fangirl, who shrieked and celebrated in delight that her dream had finally come true. That whatever universal power out there had heard her prayers and delivered Sasuke Uchiha to her doorstep and now she could fulfill her teenage dreams of becoming Mrs. Uchiha!

"Jesus, what was I thinking?" Jesse muttered shaking her head at her inner fangirl. Yes, the goddess of love had answered her long time wish, but look how well that was turning out! Just as well as should be expected actually. Sasuke was exactly as the manga and anime portrayed him as.

An cold hearted bastard. So if what he had a year to get her to fall with in love with him? He was doing it so he could retrieve the powers Benzaiten had sealed away. If he could put up with training with the twisted Snake Sannin for three years and ally himself with Tobi and the Akatsuki to achieve his goal of revenge, he would approach this situation as he always did. He would do what was necessary to achieve his goals.

Tears escaped as she turned the Celestial Seasons box over and over again in her hands. She decided to open the box. The smell of mint, lemon, and what must be eleuthero filled her nose. It was a nice smell and her nerves faded away.

"Hn, maybe this will help after all," Jesse said out loud as she finished unwrapping the white tissue paper that held the teabags. She placed one in the mug and set the microwave for four minutes as she began to stir. She inhaled the aroma. It was such a pleasant smell. She was calming down from the smell alone. "Thank you, Nancy."

Jesse stayed up till five in the morning, typing. She chose to work on one of her newer ideas, instead of her naga series. Shifting topics that focused on something more light cheered her up.

Feeling at ease, even if it was only for a short period of time, helped her go back to sleep. She probably wouldn't crawl out of bed time till around eleven or close to noon, but at the moment she didn't care. She was so ready for some z's.

Jesse yawned loudly as she paused in brushing her teeth. She hadn't climbed out of bed till almost one. Thank God, they weren't going over to her parent's till six. She felt refreshed. Her mind was still doing its thing, but she was able to handle the anxiety better. She would have to find Sasuke and talk to him about how they were going to keep up the ruse that they were good friends in front of her parents.

He's going to have to appear normal. He could be reserved if he wanted, but he had to act like he was a nice guy.

She snickered at the idea. Sasuke and nice? Now those two words did not belong in the same sentence. How the heck was he going to pull this off?

She meandered into the kitchen. Surri greeted her with a loud meow as she hopped onto the counter and reached out with a paw, begging for attention. Jesse smiled and petted her. The Bengal then decided she wanted to chew on her.

"Ow. Little stinker," Jesse said. Surri was in one of her playful, "I'm going to get you, my girl" moods. "Wanna play, Surri? Do ya?"

She pulled her hand back and looked around for one of Surri's toys. She found one of the feathered dusters that had tinsel in it in the living room and swished it back and forth in front of Surri. The cat instantly diverted her attention from taking a swing at her owner to attacking the toy with gusto.

"Get it, Surri! Get it! Rawr."

Bollywood blared from the living room speakers. Pritam was singing loudly as Jesse went about doing some much needed dusting. She hadn't done a thorough cleaning in quite a while. Sure, she kept the dishes washed and put away, did her laundry once a week and tried to vacuum at least once a week. Her mother didn't raise a slob after all.

Still, she often slacked off when it came to dusting, and cleaning the wooden floors in her home. She did it maybe once a month or once every other month.

Not that were much to dust anyway. All her furniture had come from generous relatives or from what she bought with her own money or what her parents bought for her. She was still in the middle of collecting things that would truly make her house a real home.

She was about ready to get to mopping, using the mop as a dance partner when Sasuke caught in her in the middle of twerking. Now that was a sight for him to see. Jesse instantly blushed. Whoops.

"Uh…. Hey?" Jesse tried to keep her voice light and playful, but the embarrassment was there as clear as day on her face. Sasuke was looking at her weird. His mouth partially open as if he was trying to figure what he was looking at. "What? I can dance in my own home if I want to."

"If that's what you call it," Sasuke retorted and turned away to head towards his room. "I'm going to take a shower."

"If you're going to jack off, clean up afterwards!" Jesse called after him. Not that he probably would. She doubted Sasuke found her at all attractive. Yes, she had the boobs and one hell of a ass, but she was heavy set. He probably went for the more athletic type. She hadn't seen many big girls in the anime. Maybe like one or two and they had been in filler episodes if she remembered correctly.

It then dawned on her that she was getting a slight breeze in between the boobs. She looked down. Her girls were almost falling out of her cami! "Well… damn."

Six o'clock came way too quickly for Jesse. She had changed out of her relaxing clothes into a simple lavender tank top and jeans shorts. She had caught Sasuke after his shower to discuss his attitude problem. Of course, Jesse had a hard time concentrating on their conversation. Having a shirtless Sasuke before her made it hard not to ogle. Her inner fangirl was going nuts.

Look at those ads! Look at that chest. OMG, he's still wet from his shower! I want to so lick the moisture off his chest, her inner fangirl squealed in excitement. Jesse eventually had to turn around at some point not to show what she was thinking.

"Why does he have to be so freaking hot anyway?" Jesse muttered pulling her hair into a ponytail. She put her glasses back on and took a deep calming breath. Her heart was thundering loudly in her chest. She could do this. They would make it through dinner without Sasuke making a fool of both her and him!

"So you finally collected yourself then?" Sasuke wanted to know as she met him at the door. Needless to say, he had seen through her ruse of pretending not to notice he was shirtless in front of her. She really was a typical woman after all. He had caught her red handed, staring so shamelessly like that at his chest.

Jesse huffed. The blush returned to her face. "Good grief, you caught me drooling. So freaking what?" she said as she pulled on her sandals and checked to make she had everything she needed in her purse. "I ain't blind you know."

He smirked at her. "So you do have eyes then. I was starting to wonder if you weren't a lesbian," he teased her. He might have finally found something he could use against her. His physical appearance had always been a weak spot for women. And he used his appearance to his advantage before.

Jesse snorted. "Just so you know I've dated a girl before," she replied and headed out the door.

He stared after her, flabbergasted. She dated a girl before? When was that?! An picture of Jesse making out with a girl crossed his mind. It sent a bolt of electricity to his groin. He tried to pretend the idea of her getting hot and dirty with another woman didn't turn him on. "When was this?"

"Hmm… About a year ago. I got sick of dealing with guys and their bullshit, so I hooked with a girl. Her name was Bliss. We meet in a gay bar while out celebrating Chad's twenty-first birthday. He's more of Rachael's friend than mine. It only lasted a few weeks. Too much drama," Jesse said musing. "She was a complete nut case. She got jealous real easily. Whether I was with another girl friend or one of my guy friends. I really don't see the appeal in dating that type of person. I felt like I was constantly walking around on egg shells."

He couldn't help but ask the next question. "How far did you guys go?"

Jesse raised an eyebrow at him. She grinned. "What? Getting a boner?"

He worked to maintain a poker face. Damn her. It still caught him off guard when she had said things like that. Sure, he was used to women talking dirty to him, but there was something about the way Jesse said it. She was blunt and to the point instead of dancing around the subject. "I'm merely curious about your dating history. That's all."

Jesse smirked as they climbed into her car and she started the engine. "I can honestly count the number of people I've date on one hand. Not a lot of people my age can say that. It's hard to find anyone who wants to go steady these days. Most people my age rather sleep around and party till the cows come home."

"How many people have you dated?"

"Five in total."

Five?! People in his world would consider that being promiscuous for a woman of her age. By the time most female shinobi are her age, they're getting ready to get married or were already married. It was perplexing for him that people in her world were taking longer to settle down and start a family.

He knew he wasn't saint, so really he wasn't going to hold it against Jesse for having dated that many people. If anything it proved his suspicions about her. She did have experience-a lot of it in fact-when it came to dating. He stored the information away.

"What kind of person are you attracted too then? I'm sure you have a type," Sasuke inquired. Anything to help him formulate a solid plan.

Jesse kept her eyes on the road. She went quiet for a moment. An scowl formed on her lips. "How about we hold off on this conversation alright? We're almost to my folks. I think we have other matters to worry about than my past dating history. Like putting on a good show for my folks."

Up ahead on the right side of the road was a two story white house with a large screened in porch on the front and a decades old barn behind it. It sat in the middle of lush green pastors, sitting on top of a incline in the terrain. The smell of manure assaulted Sasuke's senses. It was a horrible smell. It took him back to the time he and team seven were assigned to help do daily chores on a farm outside of the village during their genin days.

Jesse flicked on the blinker. "That's it," she said softly as she turned into the driveway. The Rogue bounced along the rough driveway as it curved up around the house and then lead towards the red and grey painted building whose metal sided roof gleamed in the late afternoon sunlight.

Sasuke could see the movement of cows inside one of the large openings of the barn. The sound of their bellowing rose up over the music Jesse had playing.

"You grew up on farm?" he asked.

"Yep. All my life in fact."

The sound of barking reached Sasuke's ears as he climbed out of the car. "So you're a farm girl."

"And if I am?" Jesse challenged as two roly-poly miniature multi-colored dogs with floppy ears came bounding over. Their low baritone howls rung in Sasuke's ears as they ran around the car sniffing at the new comers. Their tails wagged energetically behind them. "Hey Oscar boy! Hey, ah, Cloey be nice! He's a good guy. All be it a regular jack ass."

Cloey sniffed vigorous at Sasuke's pant legs as she and the other dog followed them to the farm house. Her hackles rose up on her back as she examined by sniffing at him vigorously. Really, the dog didn't scare Sasuke. He could just send the nuisance flying with one kick after all. Although, it wouldn't probably impress Jesse or her parents, so he controlled himself.

"What kind of dogs are they?" he inquired, trying to watch where he was going. Both dog were darting in and out between their legs, barking loudly.

"Beagles. Oscar's eight and Cloey's four," Jesse explained in a idle fashion. "Don't worry. They don't bite. They just get a little excited around strangers that's all."

He didn't say anything more as Jesse lead the way into a large open addition connected to the farm house. An large white vehicle sat in it.

"Dad's probably out in the barn, right now, getting ready to milk the cows in the parlor," Jesse said as she headed up a wooden ramp leading to a dark grey door that stood out against the all white interior.

The two beagles rushed in past them, squeezing through the door as Jesse opened it. He heard a woman say, "Hey, sweetheart. I heard the dogs barking. I hope you and your roommate brought your appetites."

Jesse moved past him and went to hug a short sturdy build woman with unruly curls the color of sand. He could see where Jesse got her looks. The two women were almost identical.

Jesse's mother planted a kiss on her daughter's cheek. "Your father's out to the barn. He'll be in around 6:30." The woman then turned towards Sasuke curiously. Her bright grey eyes studied him thoughtfully. "So this is the new roommate you've been telling us about."

"Mom, I want you to meet Sasuke Yamoto. Sasuke, this my mother, Joanne."


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Sasuke Uchiha. He belongs to Kishimoto and the manga/anime of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. I am simply borrowing him for my own twisted amusement.

A/N: Alright everyone. Here is chapter twelve. I see another person has added _Where Dreams Meet Reality_ to their favorite/follow lists, so a shout out "thank you" to **bluemoon9710** , and hope you all enjoy this latest chapter!

Chapter Twelve

An Evening with The Wilds

"How do you like Belbo so far, Sasuke?" Joanne inquired as she busied herself around the kitchen in the Wilds' home. The two beagles were right under foot, sniffing and raising up on their hunches every so often hoping for a free hand out. "It's probably a whole lot different than being raised in a place like San Francisco."

"It's okay," Sasuke said. He was looking around the quaint living space with a vague sense of interest. The floors were wooden and stained a tan color, while the woodwork that made up the cupboards was a shade or two lighter. There was antique plates and tea sets on display above the cupboards, while the counters was a white-grey in color. The kitchen was joined by a open dining room with large bay windows that looked out towards the built in porch. He was currently sitting at the large dark stained table, nursing a glass of water.

Joanne had offered him and Jesse a beverage called lemonade. He turned it down. He rather have water. Of course, Jesse accepted and helped herself. She was helping her mother by cutting up what look liked a round loaf of bread.

"You settling in fine?" Joanne asked.

"Yeah."

"What does your parents do for a living? Do you have any siblings? Jesse said you have a brother."

Had a brother… Had parents…. He wanted to correct the woman, but he knew he had to keep his real history a secret here. "My dad's a businessmen. He's out of the country a lot. My mother was a stay-at-home mom, but she's back to work now."

Jesse and him put there their brains together to come up with a believable back story on who he was here. Both of his parents were still alive. His father was a businessman who traveled aboard a lot, mostly over to Japan and Malaysia. His mother had been a stay-at-home mom raising two kids till he got into high school and then took the opportunity for herself to finish up her own schooling so she could become a nurse. Itachi, was decided to be apart of the military, something Jesse's family could relate to. He was stationed over in the Philippines or something like that.

"Oh. What company does your father work for?"

Sasuke sighed. The woman asked a lot of questions. What business did she have to inquire about his life? He thought for a moment. " He's a plant manger for Honda. He does a lot of work abroad."

"Hm. How about your mother? What does she do for a living?"

"She's a nurse."

"And siblings? Jesse mentioned you have a brother in the military."

"Itachi. Yeah, he's stationed over in the Philippines."

"Mom," Jesse chided. "You're asking way too many questions. I think you're making Sasuke a little uncomfortable."

Joanne looked to her daughter with a very motherly look on her face, something that reminded Sasuke of his own mother during the times he did something she wasn't too happy about. An hollow ached started forming in his chest.

"I'm just curious. You kind of sprung this on your father and I at the last moment. I honestly wish you would have told us that you were going have someone come to live with you," Joanne scolded her daughter gently. She finished setting the timer on the microwave for what she called lasagna, to cook.

"Well, I've been busy. Alright?" Jesse retorted. "You know how I get when my mind is focused on working on a book. I block everything else out."

"How is that going anyway? Have you called your editor yet?" her mother wanted to know.

"It's almost done. I gotta finish this last chapter I'm on then I can send the transcript in," Jesse replied with a shrug. She set the bread knife down. She was done cutting up the bread. She was a little weary feeding Sasuke lasagna. She didn't know if he was going to like Italian American. "Once I send it in, I'll give Vivy a ring to let her know."

"I really wished the agent would have signed you a better editor than that woman," Joanne muttered.

"Yeah. Yeah. Vivy just has an eye for marketing and she's very good at her job. So what if I'll probably have to do an complete rewrite. If it helps my book sell better then so be it," Jesse replied hotly.

As much as her editor could be a bitch, Jesse respected the woman immensely. Vivian Bush was one of the toughest editors and writing critics in the publishing business. When Jesse first sent in the first rough draft in for _Slithering Embrace_ , Vivy took one look at it and mailed it back right away saying it was never going to make sales the way it was at the moment. Jesse had written that first book over four times before Vivy was satisfied with the out come and agreed to get it published.

"Anyway, how was work?" Jesse asked changing the subject.

"It's been fine. Laura and I had to deal with a few classes full of rowdy children on Friday. Those Anderson twins are too funny. 'Sure thing, Mrs. Wilds.' or 'Can you tell us apart today, Mrs. Wilds?'" Joanne reminisced. She was one of the librarians that worked at Ferguson Elementary School, the same elementary school Jesse went to when she was growing up. Joanne loved her job and was extremely good with children. "They dressed the same again on Friday, trying to confuse their teachers. Little rascals."

"I give you a lot of credit, Mom. I could never handle being around those brats all day," Jesse said. She admired her mother. She really did, even when they were bickering. She could never ever be a teacher. She was too temperamental for the job. That and the fact she didn't know how to filter what she said.

"It's not that hard, Jess. You just need to know how to speak the lingo," Joanne replied with a smile. She gave Jesse a look of disapproval. "And nice try at changing the subject, sweetheart."

Jesse rolled her eyes in fake annoyance. "Foiled again."

Vivy and Joanne were not chummy at all. During their first meeting when Jesse was scheduled to do an reading in a trendy little café called Poetry's Corner in down-town Eerie, the women took an instant disliking of each other. Jesse could see why though… Vivy was head strong. Her mother was head strong. Both thought they were right in their way of thinking and of course, Jesse's mother was very protective of her daughter.

Vivy's sense of humor could be hard to swallow. She liked to poke fun at everything and had a bad habit of bringing people's worst attributes to the table and talking openly about them. Vivy didn't talk behind people's back. Rather she said exactly what she's thinking to that person's face and let them to decide whether they liked it or not. She was snarky, cynical, and had a strong personality with strong opinions.

Joanne **did not** like it one bit when Vivy told Jesse that she needed to lose weight right to her face. Apparently being an heavy set author was a big no-no where you're trying to sell a book that is centered largely around sex.

Of course, Jesse being Jesse had a few choice words to say herself, that promptly shut Vivy up. Vivy was a very slender stalky woman, who couldn't be more than a 130. She probably never had a fat day in her life and she probably was use to criticizing women with weight problems because she had never dealt with the weight issue herself. And that drove Joanne up the wall.

Many of the women on Joanne's side of the family, were, well, let's face it, fat. It was pretty much a set genetic trait. If you were born with Thorne blood in you and you were a woman, you were doomed to struggle with weight problems for the rest of your life. It was something Jesse had learned during her college years to accept. She would never be Miss Skinny-Mini. She would never weigh less than 160 pounds.

Yes, Jesse knew she was fat, but she accepted it. Just because her publisher had a issue with it, made no difference to her as long as it didn't effect how her book was written or the number of sales.

While dinner was in the oven, Jesse showed Sasuke the house she grew up in, along with the barn. The smell of manure was nothing new to Jesse as she gave a walk through of the barn for Sasuke. She grew up with it. She spent a lot of hours running around the farm as a kid. She use to climb through the stales, using them like a jungle gym while the cows were out in the pastor, help feed the calves, and of course hanging from the bars in the milk house while her dad and uncles milked the cows.

She held in a amused giggled as Sasuke tried to pretend the smell of cow shit didn't bother his sensitive ninja nose. She could so see through that stoic mask at the moment. His nose kept scrunching up as they walked along under the dim lighting, heading for the milking parlor. So far, so good.

The visit was going better than she could have hoped for. Maybe they could get through tonight without any slip-ups.

The milking parlor as always was noisy and busy. The cows were strapped in their holding stations hooked up to one of the machines. Large glass tubs were suspended from the ceiling housing the milk as it was pumped from the utters. Jesse immediately spotted her father.

Marcus Wilds was a sturdy build man with thick grey hair that had a wave to it when it grew out enough. His mustache was neatly trimmed and although he was wearing holey t-shirt and jeans- one did not dress up for this job- he still held an sort of intimidating factor about him, standing in at six foot even. He was cleaning one of the cow's utters with blue soap and talking to her Uncle Giles.

"Hey dad!" Jesse called over the sound of the machines and hurried down the concrete steps into the lower bowls of the parlor.

Marcus barely heard her. He turned his head as she came over to give him a hug. "Oh! Hey hon! Came to help out?"

Jesse shook her head and motioned to Sasuke who was standing at the platform observing the whole scene with an raised eyebrow. "Nah. I'm giving my roommate the grand tour."

Marcus's brown eyes followed Jesse's hand to where Sasuke was. His eyes narrowed a bit as he studied the young man at the top of the stairs. "An tour, eh?" he said. "Well, tell your roommate to come down here. None of us bite. He ever seen an milking parlor before?"

Jesse tried to get Sasuke's attention by waving. "Yo! Uch-ah… Yamoto! Get your butt down here! Come and get up close and personal!"

Sasuke barely caught any of what Jesse was yelling at him, but he knew he needed to go down and introduce himself to her father. An knot of unease clenched his chest, while he maintained a stoic look. It was hard. Really hard pretending none of this lovey-dovey family stuff didn't bring back memories. It was plain to see that Jesse had a good relationship with her parents.

She was relaxed, smiling, and talking like there was no tomorrow. He took Jesse's father hand when he offered him a hand shake. "Yamoto. Yamoto Sasuke," he said. He felt the strength in Jesse's father handshake.

"Marcus Wilds," Jesse's father said with a broad grin. He gave Sasuke's hand an hard squeeze, testing him.

Sasuke was used to other men testing his strength. It was a guy thing, so he only smirked back. "I never seen how cow's were milked before."

It was mostly true. Back when he and Naruto and Sakura were assigned to helping out on a local farm, the farmer in charge had them feeding the cows out in the pastor, shoveling manure, and herding the cows back into the barn before dark. He actually never seen the milking process up close and personal before. Still the sight of the utters being sucked into an octopus like extensions of the machine reminded him of tentacle hentia. Not that he really enjoyed stuff like that, but he had come across it before when he was bored and looking for something of interest to read during his time with Orochimaru. When he wasn't training, he would engross himself in a good book.

"Want to give it a try then?" Marcus offered. He had one of this strange machines in hand at the moment.

Sasuke gave the machine a look. It looked like a torture device. "Sure."

Why not? Jesse did say he had to pass some kind of parent test after all. If he showed he was willing to help with the chores when offered, maybe it would score him some points with Jesse.

The extensions were heavy as Marcus showed him how the process work. Sasuke's felt Jesse's inquiring eyes as he followed her father's instruction. He throw a smirk her way. His way of saying "Just you watch."

The utters were slippery and felt funny in his hands. Watching one of the teats get sucked into the end of the extensions was weird, but he did exactly as he was told.

"There you go. Just watch out for the hooves. Some of them like to kick," Marcus told him with a chuckle. "Nothing to it."

Jesse smirked. "Well damn, I guess you got the magically touch, Sasuke. Dad, you better watch out. That cow is going to be asking Sasuke to do it from now on," she declared snickering and gave him an jab on the ribs. "You've done this before haven't you, you naughty boy?"

"No," Sasuke said stunned she would say something like in front of her own father.

"Jesse, now, now. Be nice," Marcus said with a chuckle. "You'll end up embarrassing the poor boy to death if you don't watch that mouth of yours."

"You have no idea," Sasuke replied with a smirk.

A look of surprise crossed her father's face before the old man burst into laughter. "That's my daughter alright. You can blame that on her mother. I swear those two are getting more alike every day."

"Hey now. That's not nice! It's bad enough people tell me that we look alike. I don't need to hear that we act alike too, you know," Jesse said. She playfully punched her father in the gut for the smart ass remark.

The old man let out an "oof" when she hit him.

"You do look like her," Sasuke added in. So she had a thing about her and her mother looking alike. He could use that to tease her.

"Oh, don't you start too!" Jesse snapped playfully.

The rest of the evening went by smoothly. Jesse was very surprised. Once Sasuke relaxed into the flow of things, he was able to pretend like they were good friends in front of her parents. Sure, he kept his answers to the point but still vague when either her parents asked him about what he life was like back in San Francisco during dinner. It was good to see that her father was taking a liking to Sasuke, while her mother still was a bit skeptical about the whole thing.

After dinner, they all sat out onto the front porch. Jesse learned her Uncle Ron and Aunt Cheryl were coming into town next weekend and were going to be staying at the family cabin a mile down the road. The cabin was the big meeting place for the Wilds side of the family. Ever since it was built back during her days as a junior in high school, it had been the center of every gathering.

Jesse was looking forward to see Aunt Cheryl. That woman was a hoot. Her cousin, Aaron, and his family was supposed to be showing up too, so more than likely that meant a camp fire and a cook out that night.

"I hope you've been practicing, Jesse," her father said. Uncle Ron, Uncle Giles, and Aaron and his son, Jackson, and his daughter, Anna, wanted to go hunting in the wee hours of the morning on Sunday.

"Remember Dad, I've been busy working on my book," Jesse reminded him as she and Sasuke were getting ready to leave. Her mother had been sure they were taking all the leftovers from dinner. "I'm almost finished with the transcript. I only got one chapter left to go and then I'm done."

"Well, make sure to sharpen up," her father reminded her with a nod. "You don't want Jackson and Anna to out class ya, now do ya?"

"Of course not. It would be humiliating if a six year old and a eight year old could out shoot me," Jesse replied with a wiry grin. They were going to be going coon hunting that morning and that meant Bee-Bee guns and rifles.

Jesse hadn't practiced with her .22 caliber rifle in a long while. It's been sitting in the safe down in the basement since last deer season. Her bee-bee gun however was getting plenty of action since she discovered she had chipmunks invading her garage and ripping holes in her bird feed. Of course, since Sasuke showed up, she hadn't dared use it. She wasn't sure how he was going to react to the sound of gun fire.

"I'll get right on, Dad," Jesse said with a smirk. "Of course, I'm going have to come up and practice. I don't want my neighbors complaining to John and Coral after all."

Using an bee-bee gun on a road with seven other homes around her was one thing, but using her rifle with that many houses so close was another.

"Of course. Of course," her dad said. "You know you're free to stop up anytime you want. That goes for the same for you, Sasuke. You two have a safe trip now."

Sasuke only nodded before climbing into the Rogue, leaving Jesse to say her good-byes to her folks.

"Love ya, Dad," Jesse said giving her father a hug. She gave her mom an bear hug. "See you guys on Tuesday."

"Since Rachael and May are going to be staying with your two, tell them I'll be making my famous beef on wick Tuesday night. We'll make it a picnic!" her mother announced with a grin. She gave Jesse an peck on the cheek. "Loves you so much."

"Loves you too, Mom," Jesse said before climbing into the Rogue and inserting the key into the ignition. She watched for the dogs as she threw the Rogue into reverse. Cloey and Oscar chased the car down the long driveway, her mother calling after them angrily to get back to the house. She put her car into drive and headed for home. "You did good tonight, Sasuke."

Sasuke gave a huff. "Your mother is way too nosy for her own good."

"I tried to warn you," Jesse said. Joanne was infamous for being nosy. She had been persistent when it came to wanting to know just what kind of person Sasuke was. "She's always like that. You'll get use to it."

An long silence followed. Not that Jesse minded. It gave her time to reflect on events of the night. She was satisfied with the out come. Maybe things were turning for the better now.

"I would have never pegged you as the hunting type," Sasuke spoke up the closer they got to home. He glanced at her.

"Appearances can be deceiving, Sasuke. I got an .22 caliber rifle hidden away in a safe down in the basement," Jesse said as she turned onto the road she lived on. "Plus an bee-bee gun. My dad use to take me hunting with him and my uncles all the time as a kid. Last deer season I shot a four point buck. It took over an hour to track him down afterwards. We skinned him in the pole barn and butchered 'im, made steaks and sausage from the meat. The steaks were awesome on the grill."

"The last time I was on a farm was back when I was a genin," Sasuke replied, revealing a little bit about himself.

Jesse turned to him with an raise eyebrow. Well, this was unexpected. "Yeah?"

"It was a D rank mission," Sasuke went on. "The dobe and I were put to work helping feeding the cows out in the pastor. He ended up stepping in a cow pie." He smirked. "The cows even tried chewing off his hand at one point when he gave them hay."

"So you do care about Naruto then," Jesse said. She knew there was a strong bond between those two. It was obvious by the way, Sasuke would be caught thinking about his days as a genin throughout the most of the manga after the time skip. Maybe he longed for those days again.

"He was my first and only true friend," Sasuke admitted.

"Was?"

"There's no use in maintaining that bond anymore. Not when with every step I take towards what I must do," Sasuke explained thoughtfully.

Of course. Jesse gave Sasuke a sympathetic look as she pulled into the driveway of her home. "Sasuke, haven't you ever considered what might happen if you stopped pursuing darkness and actually tried to live for something else."

"There is nothing else for me, Jesse," he said softly. Once the engine was shut off and the door automatically unlocked themselves, he stepped out of the car. He look to her. "You're lucky to have what you do. Unless you loose everything dear to you and follow the same path I took, you can't begin to understand what is it that drives me towards my destination."

"Once you loose something you can never hope to gain it back," Jesse said quoting Ciel Phantomhive from **Black Butler**. The quote took Sasuke by surprised. His eyes widened as Jesse turned to him. An sad smile formed on her face as she got out of the car and then leaned on the top of the car, looking at him. "You're right. I will never understand what it feels like to loose everything. What right do I have to lecture you. All I have to compare to that is my own experiences in life."

Jesse frowned. Her mind reflecting on her own history dealing with mental problems. "But…I do get mental pain. I do get depression and suffering on a level that pits you against yourself. The scars you have will never go away. You'll carry them for the rest of your life. Don't turn those into something that will drag you down till you're no longer conscious of what's good in life."

She straightened up and headed towards the house. "True strength tends to be found in the darkest hours of your life. Just when you think it can't get worse a single ray of hope will still find you and pull you out of that suffocating darkness."

"Hn. You're talking rubbish," Sasuke told her in a dismissive tone.

"Maybe. Maybe not. I just know what's it like feeling all alone and so caught up in myself that I couldn't see who was there for me," Jesse pointed out and turned to meet him face to face. Her hazel eyes met his. They held the resolve that she found in her own life. She reached out without warning and touched his face. "You think you're all alone. You think it's your fate. But tell me, during this whole time where you ever truly alone? When you sought out Orochimaru, while you were tracking down Itachi, when you were seeking out the tailed beast for Tobi, and during the war when you were trying to decide whether you were continue to seek Konoha's destruction or protect it, were you the only one there in that moment? Were you? Did you not have others there who helped you along the way?"

Sasuke's eyes went wide as he stared her down. "It doesn't matter," he whispered. "I did those things because I had to."

"Yeah, but were you alone during those time? Were there no other people there present as well?" she challenged.

A/N: Heyo everyone! I'd like you all to know while you're waiting for the next chapter to come out I do have an new story posted called **Anime High**. So go ahead and go check it out in your free time. It's done in script format, but it still reads like an story. It's combination of _Naruto Shippuden_ , _Kuroshitsuji_ , _InuYasha_ , _Fruits Basket_ , _Gundam Wing_ , _Sailor Moon_ , and _Yu-Gi-Oh_. It's fun. It's crazy. It's light hearted for the most part, and it's an project a friend and I have had in the works for the last year-and-a-half. It's combination of both our writing styles, so let's see if you can tell whose writing where and what. Go ahead and check it out: **Anime High**.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Sasuke Uchiha. He belongs to Kishimoto and the manga/anime of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. I am simply borrowing him for my own twisted amusement.

Chapter Thirteen

Being A Woman Sucks

Jesse woke up nauseated. It hurt to open her eyes and when she moved, her lower stomach screamed at her to lay still. "Great…"

She laid in bed for a long while willing herself to get up and move around. Just because mother nature was knocking on her door, saying "here's your monthly friend, have fun" did not mean she was going to be a big baby and call in sick. Although she really, really wanted to.

She groaned dramatically and finally crawled out of bed. God, it hurt! It felt like some little gnome was taking up residence in her uterus at the moment and using an pickaxe to mine for red gold.

Her trip to the bathroom ended up with her stubbing her toe on the corner of the vanity and almost shutting her foot in the door. Not a good way to start Wednesday. Not at all. "Shit… Shit. Ow! Son of a fucking whore! Ow, ow…"

She was greeted with the sight of her underwear stained with the very beginnings of her period as she sat down on a semi warm toilet seat. Rachael or May must have been in the bathroom not too long ago. Or Sasuke for that matter…

The weird random thought struck her as kind of funny as she went about her monthly routine cleaning up and then shoving an tampon in. She was going have to change her panties now.

She took some Advil and cleaned her glasses before making the trip back to her room to check her sheets and for a clean pair of undies. Thankfully, it was only the first day and she had caught her period just in time before her sheets suffered.

She leaned over the edge of the counter waiting for the coffee pot to fill. She made sure to make extra. Rachael would be getting up soon since she had student teaching today at Celeborn High.

Jesse's lower stomach tightened uncomfortably. She groaned. Freaking periods. Why in the world did God ever invent them?

"God, I feel like shit," Jesse muttered. All she wanted to do was crawl back into bed and stay there.

The beeping of the coffee maker told her that her coffee was ready. She sighed and straightened up. Her uterus didn't like that. It took every ounce of strength she had not to curl into a ball as she walked over to the refrigerator to grab the creamer and make her first cup of coffee for the day.

When was the last time she got cramps this bad anyway?

"What's wrong with you?" Sasuke's voice inquired as she was over bent over on the counter again, waiting for the damn Advil to kick in.

She lifted her head to just enough to peek over her arms as she laid against her arms for support. Great, must be stubbing her toe woke up Mr. Grumpy Pants Uchiha. "Fuck you."

Sasuke gave her a raised eyebrow. "You should be more careful in the morning, eejit." His hair was all disheveled from just rolling out of bed. He didn't look like he was feeling that great himself. In fact he sounded even crankier than normal. "You woke me out of a dead sleep."

"Well, excuse me for mother nature deciding to deliver her monthly gift," Jesse hissed as he walked past her to the refrigerator to grab an water bottle. "Let me guess you want breakfast, right?"

Sasuke uttered an grunt and walked by her. "Maybe later."

Jesse hissed at him like a cat. He stopped to look at her weirdly before heading into the living room, leaving her to her own misery. The bagels in the toaster popped up letting her know they were done. Not that she was feeling in the mood to eat right now, but she knew if she didn't eat now, she would haven't time later.

Once her bagel was smeared with peanut butter and she rinsed an hand full of black berries, she headed into the living room with her breakfast and coffee. She found Sasuke sprawled out on the couch, flat on his stomach looking for all the world exhausted and miserable.

"What's your problem?" Jesse asked as she set her breakfast down on the coffee table and pulled it over to the chair she was taking an seat in. Was he sick or something?

He only grunted and preceded to ignore her.

"Fine. Whatever," she said with a roll of her eyes. She grabbed up the remote and turned on channel eight news. An report on the latest about what was going on in the Presidential election was airing. Jesse never cared for politics. It didn't matter who won, all politicians were crooked in her eyes.

Rachael came wandering into the living room, announcing her presence with a large yawn. "Morning."

"Morning, Rachael. Coffee's out in the kitchen," Jesse told her, glancing at her friend from the corner of her eyes as the news switched over to commercials promising to come back with the four day forecast for the weather.

Rachael yawned again and uttered an "cool" before shuffling into the kitchen to grab herself a mug. She came back in later blowing away the steam from her coffee. With an raised eyebrow she looked from Jesse to Sasuke and then back again. "What's with him?"

"Rolled out on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Jesse replied with a shrug. Her cramps were finally going away and she was feeling a bit more like herself now that she had some caffeine in her system. She brought her mug to her mouth and savored the rich warm flavor of her drink.

Rachael rolled her eyes. "Poor baby," she muttered, not at all sympathetic towards him. There was no room for her to sit except the floor, considering Sasuke was sprawled out on the couch and didn't look like he was moving any time soon from that position. "So… What's the plans for after work?"

Jesse shrugged. "Don't know really. Depends how I feel. You know, mother nature and all."

Rachael nodded with understanding. "Oh, now? Yikes."

"Yeah. It seems to be worst this month. I woke up feeling like shit."

"Sorry to hear that," Rachael replied. "I'm not due for another week or so."

"Lucky."

"Yeah… Not really. Being a woman sucks."

"Amen to that. Amen to that," Jesse said raising her cup in a mock toast. Rachael smirked and the two woman clinked their cups together in agreement.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Sasuke Uchiha. He belongs to Kishimoto and the manga/anime of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. I am simply borrowing him for my own twisted amusement.

A/N: Heyo Everyone. First off I'd like to say "thank you" to **Wolfy-sama** and **Alinys** for reviewing. And yes, Sasuke is suffering from Jesse's cramps. Little shit deserves it all the way! Mwuahahaha! Anyway, here's chapter fourteen. I hope everyone enjoys it!

Chapter Fourteen

Surprise, Surprise

God, Sasuke felt like shit. Ever since he woke up this morning his lower abdomen kept feeling it was being ripped apart from the inside. He hadn't felt this sick in so long. He sat outside on the back deck, taking in the warm summer sunlight. It was late in the morning now, and Jesse had already gone to work. Her friends also headed off to do whatever it was they were going, leaving the house to himself.

Without Rachael and May constantly giving him dirty looks and making chafing comments to his face, he was able to relax. Although it was hard to do with his stomach threatening to tear itself apart. He didn't have diarrhea and he didn't remember eating anything that might have gone bad.

Ever since the Stone sisters showed up on Jesse's doorstep Monday night, he had to walk around on his tips toes. He couldn't implement his plan with them around constantly watching his every move.

Surri scratched at the screen of the sliding door, meowing loudly. Sasuke looked over his shoulder at the jungle cat and decided to let her out. Once the door slide open couple of inches the cat squeezed out and sniffed around at the porch below her paws before deciding to leapt down and explore the grassy lawn.

Sasuke watched with amusement as the cat started chewing on grass and then flopped over and rolled around on her back being all cute like. He let Surri wander, keeping her in his sights while she slunk along the porch, keeping close to the house.

Guess Jesse doesn't let her out much, Sasuke thought as he followed her. The cramps in his stomach seemed to ebb every now and then making it easier to move around. He really needed to get back to training. Just because he was stuck in a foreign world for a year didn't mean he could slack off.

"Guess, I'll just have to work on my taijutsu for a year," he muttered as Surri's ear perked up at the sound of a car approaching. She turned her head as a white truck roared through the neighborhood before disappearing around the bend in the road beyond the house. He had to admit where Jesse lived it was quiet, peaceful. A good place to live away from the annoying noisy world.

She seemed to like quiet as much as he did. Although that quiet was often interrupted once she started blaring what she called music. But to be honest, she was a pretty quiet person for a roommate. When she wasn't being snarky and making a fool out of her.

Sasuke noted an old green truck approaching. It was slowing down as it came near the house. On instinct, his hand went for the weapon hidden in the one of the pockets of his sweatpants. He stole an knife from Jesse's kitchen when she wasn't looking. He didn't like the idea of being unarmed in this world. The damn goddess had made sure of it when she sent him here.

The howling of a dog could be heard inside the vehicle, the head of a beagle could be seen on the passenger side, barking away like tomorrow as Sasuke stood in the front yard. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Surri had disappeared into the bushes, frightened.

"Hey Sasuke!" Marcus Wilds greeted as he shut off his truck and hopped out of the vehicle. Sasuke's hand relaxed around the concealed weapon as the farmer let the beagle out.

Probably should pick up the cat, he thought idly as the beagle came bounding towards him barking away.

"Now Cloey. That's just Jesse's roommate. You be a good girl!" Marcus scolded the beagle as she sniffed around at Sasuke's bare feet with the hackles raised up on her back. The dog liked him as much he liked it.

Sasuke waded into the bushes to find Surri. She wasn't that hard to find. She had wedged herself in between the house and one of the pots. He easily pulled her out of her hiding spot and placed her securely in his arms as she immediately tensed at the sight of the beagle running around. She hissed at it as it rose up on its hunches sniffing and barking at her and Sasuke.

"Brought over some bags of fertilizer. Jesse said she was hoping to plant those pots of Nanking cherry some time this week," Marcus explained in a booming voice as Sasuke walked over with cat in hand. The smell of barn clung to the air around the farmer, making Sasuke's nose immediately scrunch up in distain. "Mind giving an old man an hand?"

"Let me put the cat inside," Sasuke said.

"Oh!" Marcus's eyes lit at the sight of Surri in Sasuke's arms. He laughed. "Seems you and Surri are getting along just fine. She's such a sweet little thing, ain't she? Surri, hi kitten. You a good girl, aren't ya? Before Jesse moved out, Cloey and Oscar would gang up on Surri quite a bit. Poor thing had to hide upstairs in Jesse's room all the time!"

Marcus patted the Bengal on the head. Surri leaned in the touch and uttered a meow. "I'll start carrying the bags in. Good to see you let out her. Jesse usually doesn't like her cat being outside."

Sasuke left the farmer at his truck and put Surri inside the house. "He sure does like to talk," Sasuke muttered to himself sliding the screen door close. Surri was already at the door, begging to be let out again.

"Maybe later," he told her as she meowed at him, turning in circles and looking at him with her wide olive green eyes.

It didn't take long to get all four bags of fertilizer into the garage. Sasuke had seen the landscape around Jesse's house and had wondered about whether she was into gardening or not. Just another thing he learned about his odd host. And odd was putting it lightly.

He ignored the painful tightening in his lower abdomen as Marcus chatted away about the farm and about his wife and other things that really didn't concern him. He humored him though. If he could get close to her parents and passed this parent test of Jesse's, he would be one step closer to getting her to fall for him.

"So have you started looking for a job yet?" Marcus finally asked. It looked like he wasn't going anywhere any time soon.

Sasuke watched the beagle named Cloey out of the corner of his eye as she kept pacing back and forth in front of the green pickup truck. She didn't trust him with her master apparently. "We're looking into it."

"Heard Farmfresh is hiring at the moment," Marcus replied with a shrug.

Sasuke never heard of this "Farmfresh" before, but just nodded pretending he understood what the man was getting at.

"Anyway, better get back. Giles and I are trying to plant deer corn this year, but those damn crows keep eating it faster than we can blink," Marcus rambled on as he straightened up from where he was leaning against his pickup. "Cloey, come on. Cloey, good grief, stop raising your hackles at him, you crazy dog. Come on, Cloey."

Cloey let off an warning growl at Sasuke and bounced over to her master. Marcus scooped her up in his tan arms and deposited her into the truck before shutting the door. He was about the head over to the driver's side, when it seemed like he remember something. "You know, it might take a bit to get an job round here. The farm could use a extra pair of hands."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow intrigued. "Are you offering me a job?"

"It'll be under the table of course till you find yourself something else. Honestly, you don't have to take it. Farm work probably doesn't sound too appealing to a city kid, but I wouldn't mind the help. I'm sure I can find something for you do to," Marcus said with a shrug. "That way you're not just sitting around all day while Jesse's at work."

Sasuke smirked. "Sure. Why not?"

Jesse leaned against the side of her desk, putting a caller on "hold" while she handed a young brunette with a Mohawk an receipt through the window that separated the office space from the waiting room. This morning was particular busy. It felt like everyone and their mother decided that Wednesday morning would be the opportune day to make an visit to the good doctor.

Jesse was going to be so freaking glad once they closed down for lunch. The Advil from this morning had worn off around ten and now she was developing a slight tension headache in between the eyes along with the cramps. She adjusted her glasses and frowned as she switched the caller onto an available line.

"Hello, this is Doctor Manson's office," Jesse said. There was a note of irritation in her voice that she was having trouble hiding when she spoke. Damn raging hormones.

" Hi…I have a question about the prescription Doctor Manson's prescribed my son. Would it be possible if he can take it with Tylenol Cold And Flue Relief ?" woman's voice on the other line inquired.

Jesse sighed. Great, the one question she couldn't answer. She was a secretary, not the doctor. "Ma'am, you'll have to ask your pharmacist," she told the caller.

"Well, ain't you apart of the Doctor's office? You should know this question," the woman accused in a huff.

Jesse kept her voice low, trying her darnest not to snap at the woman. Be nice to the lady on the line, Jess, she told herself. Remember the only reason why the question annoys you is because your hormonal from your period…. Dammit.

"If you want, ma'am, I can take a memo and give it to Dr. Manson," Jesse offered, hoping that would appease the woman. She did not want to get in an argument over the phone with an patient. Not that it happened much…

"Fine. Fine," the woman said, sounding put out by the simple fact Jesse wasn't qualified to answer her about her son needing to mix medicine while he was sick. That was up to the good Doctor Manson to decide. So like an good secretary Jesse inquired what prescription Mrs. Elizabeth Anderson's son, Jeremy, was taking and then made a quick reminder for herself to ask Eric when he was finished visiting with his current patient.

Eric was actually John's nephew and the one who put an word in for her with his uncle during her search for a place of her own. Eric was thirty-five and an pretty awesome employer, who knew how to keeps things lively around the office. Each room of the clinic had been painted an different color with an different border that ran the length of the wall. All the floors were done in a honey oak stain and even the chairs out in the waiting room were actually comfortable to sit in. There were fun photos of Eric and his fiancée from their vacations in Paris, France and in Venice, Italy spread around the office. As well as models cut out from colorful construction paper in abstract forms suspended from the ceiling in the waiting room. One of Eric's unique hobbies.

"Alright, Gwen you take care." Speak of the devil….

Eric was a fairly attractive specimen. Not startling handsome or pretty boyish. He was a stocky guy with a bit of a belly, but there was warmth to him that filled the room when he walked in. He was dressed in a shockingly bright yellow sweater over a baby powder blue undershirt and of course navy blue khakis.

"You too Eric. Thanks for squeezing me in on such short notice," Gwen Evans called to him before she headed out into the waiting room. She was a regular, with a long history of dealing with horrible depression issues. She had just changed her medication again and the new stuff apparently wasn't working just the way it should.

"No problem, hun. We can't have you feeling like that," Eric said.

Gwen laughed before closing the door and appearing back at the window to schedule her next appointment in six months. Jesse sighed after the woman left and slumped in her chair, listening to the quiet murmur of patients' voices outside and the quiet clicking of keys as Caroline typed away.

"What's this?" Eric asked when he found the post-it note on the face of his laptop on his desk.

"Oh. Elizabeth Anderson called wanting to know if it was okay for her son to take Tylenol Cold and Flue Relief with his meds," Jesse explained.

"Ah, that's the kid with the strep throat," Eric muttered and smiled sympathetically. "Poor thing was running an fever of hundred-and-one." His fingers danced across the computer screen bringing up the necessary information. "Let's see what did I prescript him, again…"

"Penicillin," Eric murmured going about his task. "Yeah, he'll be allowed to take it, if it'll help the poor kid sleep. You know, Jess, you should think about getting that flu shot. There's a lot of nasty viruses out there this summer."

"No thanks," Jesse replied with a snort. Eric gave her an look that clearly stated "your choice, your foul." She sighed. "You know I hate needles. Hate... Hate… needles."

"You're worse than Angela," Caroline chuckled from where she sat at her desk, reviewing something. She was referring to her two year old. "It's just a shot, Jess. One prick and they're done."

"Still…. No. Thank. You," Jess replied stubbornly.

Jesse pulled into her driveway a little past six, feeling like the day couldn't end fast enough. Her cramps were giving her hell, feeling every time she moved her insides were ready to come out of her ass. She had an tension headache the size of the Lake Eerie and even with an extra dost of Advil seemed to do little to touch it.

God, I haven't been this miserable in a quite a while. What the hell did I ever do to mother nature to make her pay me back this bad! Jesse wondered in a rather pissy mood on top of that. Just then the sound of car slowing as it approached her house caught her attention.

An white Volvo pulled into the driveway with Coral's friendly aged face behind the wheel.

And when I thought the day couldn't get any worse, Jesse thought, groaning out loud. She like Coral. She really did. Coral and John were a awesome couple to have for landlords, but Jesse still hadn't gotten up the nerve to call them about her newly acquired roommate. Simply put, she had been procrastinating…. Big time…

And now I'm going to pay the Piper for lollygagging around the mulberry bush, Jesse thought with a sense of doom as Coral got out of the car and waved at her with a big smile on her tan face.

Coral was one of those women who loved being active and being outdoors constantly. During the summer months her skin was the color of mocha thanks to her Puerto Rican heritage. She loved being out in her beautiful garden behind her home, hiking with her husband and her children and their families or out on bike rides. Thanks to her active lifestyle, Coral was the very imagine of a petite feminine woman with tightly curled hair, laughing lines around her eyes and mouth, and warm dark brown eyes.

Coral immediately gave Jesse an hug "Hello, Jesse! You're looking cute as always," she cooed. She scrutinized her face for a second once she pulled away from the hug. "Or less cute considering the fact you look awful at the moment. Are you getting enough sleep? I know your writing is important to you, dear, but you shouldn't sacrifice your sleep over it. Are you feeling well?"

"Heheh… Sorry about that," Jesse started to say. Instant guilt flooded her stomach. She knew Coral and John trusted her as an responsible tenant. Not to mention the couple treated her like their own daughter, so the fact she had been avoiding bringing up the whole having an new roommate issue with them let her feeling even crappier. "It's that time of the month and mother nature thought she'd be extra nasty with me this month."

"Oh, you poor thing," Coral declared. "Come on. You should go inside and relax. I remember those days. My periods always put through me for a loop too. Poor John always felt so sorry for me when I had a particularly bad month. I would spend hours in a hot bath, trying to relieve the cramps. Oh, are you having guests over? John and I noticed there's been an extra car in the driveway while we going by the other day."

Guilt gnawed away at her insides. Shit. Shit. Jesse let out an uneasy laugh. "Y-Yeah. Rachael and May are staying the week. You know having some girl bonding time together since we've all been so busy as of late."

Lair, lair motherfucking pants on fire, her mind hissed at her venomously. God, she should just say it already.

"Coral, there's been something I've been needing to discuss with you, but I haven't quite found the time to bring it up and…" Jesse started, figuring she might as well dive right into the deep end of the pool and get this whole issue resolved now before Coral went into the house and came face to face with Sasuke.

"By the way, how does your new roommate feel about having three women constantly around? I mean, the poor dear is so awkward socially, I can only begin to imagine how he feels about having three others women around for an entire week," Coral interrupted her, using that tone in her voice. You know that tone, right? The one mothers uses when lecturing their children about making questionable decisions?

Jesse turned to give Coral an "WTF" look. What was she talking about?! "Uh… Wha?"

"I understand that Rachael and May are your closest friends and you're eager for them to get to know your roommate so he knows how wonderful they are, but he's not even been here an handful of days yet, sweetie," Coral went on as they rounded the corner of the house. "Don't you think it's a little soon…. You know you have an entire year for him to get to know your other friends. You should let the poor thing settle in first after all and spend some quality time with you first…"

"Hold on a second, Coral," Jesse said, trying to interrupt Coral's rambling. Was she talking about Sasuke? She hadn't even told John and Coral about Sasuke yet, let alone inform them about the fact she was going to have an roommate move in with her in the first place. So how…how?!

Jesse's mind was running around in circles as Coral lectured her about proper roommate etiquette. How did she know then? How did she know that Sasuke was living here with her? She hadn't told either John or Coral a thing yet.

What? What? What?! Jesse's mind kept screaming as she and Coral stopped on the back porch. She shook her head trying to clear the confusion on her face. Get it together, Jesse. Just play along. Come on, girl! You can do this! You can figure out the details later on how this came about!

Jesse let out an another nervous laugh. "You know me, Coral. I tend to dive in head first instead of wading into things," she said, her voice cracking around the edge as she tried to reign in all the questions filling her head as to how the hell Coral got her hands on such information. She sure as hell hadn't a said an thing to either her or her husband. Maybe she ran into her mother somewhere? But the way Coral was talking, it made it sound Jesse had told her herself?!

"Yes, well, next time, dear, think ahead," Coral scolded her with an gentle smile and a pat on the cheek. "Now go on inside and get the rent and bring him out. I'd like to meant the boy whose planning on stealing your heart."

That made Jesse pause in opening the sliding door. She gave her land lady a look. "Stealing my heart?"

"Come on. Do you think I don't see what's going on here, dear? The boy moved across the country for you!" Coral said with a sly grin. "Obviously he has an hidden agenda. One concerning making you his. No boy would just up and leave all he's ever known for nothing. Now, go get him. I want to see this young man who plans on spiriting away our little Jesse."

Jesse wanted to face palm at the idea of Sasuke sweeping her off her feet in a romantic way. "Coral, I think you're spending too much time out in the sun," she told her before heading inside to get her rent money and find where Sasuke was hiding.

She found Rachael sitting at the kitchen nook working away on her laptop with her student teaching stuff spread out across the table. "Hey," She greeted her with a slight wave.

Rachael looked up and saw the unease on her face. "Uh-oh. Something happened."

"Apparently Coral knows about Sasuke being here," Jesse explained with a sigh, placing her hands on the counter to support herself. Her mind was still reeling from this little surprise.

"So…" Rachael made a little gesture for Jesse to explain why that was such an big deal.

"Rachael, I haven't said an single thing to her or John about his being here yet. I don't fucking know where she got the information!" Jesse hissed unhappily. She should be relieved, but the idea that Coral knew-that she fucking knew- bothered her. It made an unpleasant tight knot form in the pit of her stomach. Something was wrong. She just fucking knew it.

"Really now. Well…" Rachael looked off to the side towards the window that looked towards the backyard. "That would be definitely a shock. You think she ran into your folks then while she was out and about and came by the news that way?"

"Probably…. More than likely, but she's acting all happy and weird and stuff," Jesse said, trying to find an way to describe how Coral was hinting at the fact Sasuke was here to supposedly "wisp her away" like Prince-Freaking-Charming on his noble white steed and ride off into the sunset with happily ever after written across the top. "It's like I told her. Me. She's acting like I told her about him staying here for a year, but I've been putting off calling them on that because I didn't know how to begin explaining why I suddenly had an new stinking roommate!"

Rachael remained quiet for a long moment, before saying "Well damn…"

"Yeah… My thoughts exactly," Jesse said with a sigh. "Anyway… Have you seen Mr. Crabby-Abby? I have to go introduce him to Coral."

"Not since this morning before I left to go drop May off at college," Rachael replied with a shrug. "Probably got lost somewhere… Speaking of May…." She checked her phone. "I better think about getting ready to go pick her up. She should be about done with her classes for the day soon."

Jesse sighed again and headed for her room to go grab the rent money. Okay, so Rachael hadn't seen Sasuke since she got back from her student teaching. So then where was he? She checked his room. He wasn't there.

She frowned, and then went into her room over to her dresser. She opened the bottom draw and pushed aside her winter sleeping apparel to find the small blue box she kept the rent money in. She counted the stack of bills to make sure it was all there, before putting the box back where it belong and covered it again. She closed the draw and headed back out, wondering where her reluctant roommate could have gone. Just what did Sasuke do during the day while she was at work? It was something she thought about from time to time, but it wasn't really something she gave serious thought to.

Maybe he went for a walk, Jesse thought mentally going over the facts she knew about Sasuke. It was more than likely. Sasuke's favorite past times were training and taking nice long walks after all.

Although it was also the possible he was just staying away from the house because Rachael was home. Rachael and May did not think highly of Sasuke at all and Jesse didn't blame them. He was a arrogant bastard, who had an bad habit of making an ass out of himself. So when it came to Rachael and May berating him, she didn't interfere. In fact she popped up some popcorn and sat back to watch the show. It was quite entertaining to see Sasuke get his balls busted by her two best friends in the whole wide world.

And that probably made her a bad person in someway, but really did she care? He kind of deserved it. Like a lot….

"Sorry, Coral, but Sasuke's MIA right now, so maybe some other time you can pop in and meet him," Jesse offered once she stepped outside onto the back porch to hand her the rent money.

Coral looked positively crestfallen. "Well, that's too bad really," she said as Jesse handed her the rent. Her face instantly brightened. "Oh! How about you and him come over for brunch on Saturday then?"

Coral could be relentless sometimes…

Jesse sighed yet again. "Sure. That would be… lovely," she replied as she tried to imagine Sasuke eating brunch in Coral's yellow and blue bright cheery kitchen with it's lacey white curtains and little bunny-rabbit figurines…. She had to keep herself from laughing at the imagine in her head.

"Good. It's settled then!" Coral exclaimed with a cheer and gave her tenant an warm bear hug. For a woman of her size, there was some strength in those arms. "I expect you two be over by eleven! See you on Saturday."

Jesse couldn't help but smile as Coral walked away with a bounce in her step. That woman sure did love having company over. Between the Pamper Chief parties, book club once a month, and her grandchildren always coming over, Coral's household was a busy one.

"Still… how the heck did she know about Sasuke? I haven't mention a thing to her or John yet," Jesse muttered out loud, bewildered. She ponder over how her land lady found out that she had Sasuke living with her and how she was taking it all in good strike. Why hadn't she rebuff Jesse for not telling her sooner? If she had learned from Jesse's mom then Coral should have been furious with her for not saying anything. And Jesse's mom surely would have called by now demanding as to why Jesse had lied to her in the first place about telling Coral and John about her new roommate from San Diego.

"This makes no sense," Jesse said. Her headache was getting worst just thinking about it…

"Oh, it can when you have an goddess on your side, dear," an familiar voice sang in her ear.

Jesse froze. Oh dear Lord… Of course….

Suddenly the answer to her questions was right there, right behind her. She turned around to find the pesky goddess of love smiling away like she done her some great favor. Which in all actuality she had. "Thanks. That's at least one less thing I have to worry about now."

"You're welcome, dear," Benzaiten said with a laugh.

Jesse frowned. "So… When did this happen?"

"Oh, that's nothing you need to worry about, dear. Just be glad I made sure your dear land lord and his wife was taken care of," Benzaiten said with chuckle as she phased through the door and into her house.

"Hi, Benzaiten. Long time no see. Would you like to come in and have some lemonade?" Jesse deadpanned. "God, she just waltzes on in like she owns the fucking world. I think my headache has reached an whole new level now."


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own Sasuke Uchiha. He belongs to Kishimoto and the manga/anime of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. I am simply borrowing him for my own twisted amusement.

Chapter Fifteen

Pesky Goddesses Of Love

Sasuke felt gross.

Beyond gross in fact. He was going to need a serious shower after helping Marcus and his brother, Giles, all day at the Wilds farm. Who knew being a farmer meant getting yourself eyeballs deep in cow shit and hay…

"Remember to be up and ready for me to pick you up around seven, alright?" Marcus replied as he pulled the ridiculous large vehicle he called a truck into Jesse's driveway. "Giles and I really do appreciate the help. It's nice having another pair of hands around."

"Sure," Sasuke muttered as he opened the door and climbed out of the pick-up. "See you in the morning."

"Right," Marcus said up-beat yet tired from a long day. "You have an good night, Sasuke. Tell Jess, I said 'hi', alright?"

Sasuke made a grunt. "Sure. I'll let her know."

His biceps hurt from hauling hay bails into the back of Marcus's pick-up for the cows to eat after they were done milking them and taking them out to pastor. He had experience fatigued a few times that day actually. He was probably a little out of shape from laying around for a week.

It was getting towards eight as Sasuke slide the sliding glass door shut behind him. He smelled like an big barn. He just taken off his shoes when Jesse poked her head into the pantry.

"Well, it's about damn time you got back," Jesse said with a huff. "Where the hell did you disappear off to today?"

"Your father offered me a job," Sasuke stated. Why she acting all huffy? What he did during his spare time wasn't any of her business.

An look of surprised crossed her face. "You serious? Dad, actually let you work on the farm?!" she exclaimed.

"Why should that be such a shock? He said he could use an extra hand and offered me the job. I'm stuck here for an year, so might as well do something with all this spare time I suddenly have," Sasuke said with a shrug. It was that simple. Jesse was at work most of the day while he was stuck at her place with nothing better to do, so might as well do something rather than nothing. "I'm going to take a shower."

Jesse smirked. "Sure… Don't want you stinking up my house with the stench of cow shit," she said as he walked past her into the kitchen, ready for a shower. "Oh by the way, we have an unexpected guest."

"Well hello there, Sasuke dear!" The sight of the idiot goddess of love sitting at Jesse's kitchen table with her friends greeted him.

"What is she doing here?" Sasuke snapped. He was in no mood for idle chit-chat or meddlesome goddesses.

"Rude as always I see," Benzaiten said with a condensing smile. "It wouldn't hurt you to show an more pleasant side of yourself every once in awhile, and here I thought I do you and Jesse a favor by bringing over some important paperwork."

"I like this goddess. She's as nasty to him as we are," May commented with a giggle as her and her sister gave the woman grins of approval.

Sasuke had enough. "Not interested."

He headed past the peninsula towards his room. Suddenly his entire body ceased up on him. His eyes widened as the feeling of being compressed came over him. He fought it. Jerking, he managed to turn his neck enough to send an chilling glare at the troublesome goddess.

The goddess was unphased by the hatred filled eyes with silent promises of a painful death aimed at her. "You are not dismissed, Uchiha Sasuke," she told him with an arrogant smile. She chuckled. "I did not come here for nothing. You will hear me out, whether you wish to or not."

Damn her! Damn that fucking bitch!

Sasuke watched her grin grow more sadistic as she read his thoughts. She titled her head as she turned her full body towards him. She tsked. "You are truly insufferable. I actually pity Jesse for having to live with you for the next year."

"Then why charge me with looking after him in the first place?!" Jesse's demanded. Outrage filled her voice. He had to agree with her. If the goddess knew he was going to fight this, why send him here in the first place?! Why put Jesse through having him around?

Jesse scowled at the petite Japanese goddess. She actually felt some form of sympathy for Sasuke. She could see the livid tension in his body as he struggled to maintain some sort of control as the goddess used her other worldly powers to paralyze him.

"You have a long way to go, Uchiha Sasuke," Benzaiten said with amusement as she watched him struggle. She reached into her robes and pulled out an vanilla folder. "Jesse dear, I thought I make things a little easier on you by bringing some fabricated credentials for Sasuke. That way it will be easier to explain his existence here on this plain."

"Credentials?" That peeked Jesse's interests. She moved towards the breakfast nook to see what the folder held as the goddess opened it.

Benzaiten spread out the paperwork. "Social Security card. School records: proof of graduation from one Borrego Springs High School. Birth certificate. One learner's permit, which makes you, Wilds Jesse, eligible to teach Sasuke how to drive so he can transport himself to any sort of job he may acquire during his stay," she explained, pointing out and picking up each paper and handing it to Jesse to examine.

It looked legit enough for Jesse, but she wasn't an trained government agent so she was going have to trust Benzaiten knew what she was doing here. As much as it pained her to trust the mischievous Japanese goddess, they really had no other choice.

"Wow, this is extensive," Rachael said as she too looked over everything with an critical eye. "I'm no expert when it comes to personal documents, but it seems like you've thought of covering all the bases. Nobody can dispute that he's a legal citizen now. Wow… Hey, since when is his brother apart of the U.S. Marines? I thought his parents and brother are dead. Considering didn't Itachi murder his entire clan and didn't Mr. Emo Ninja kill him for it?"

Jesse saw Sasuke stiffen visibly at the mention of such delicate personal information. "Rachael, please. Put an lib on it when it comes to the personal background stuff. Sasuke's a little sensitive on the subject," Jesse hushed her with a hiss.

"What? You said it yourself. He's aware that people here know all about him and his messed up history, right?" Rachael argued with an raised eyebrow of interests as to why Jesse was defending Sasuke.

"Sasuke and I put our heads together and came up with a back story that keeps his parents alive and has his brother apart of the U.S. military. It was mostly for the sake of my parents than anything else," Jesse said, changing the subject quickly reading over everything. "Something for them to relate too."

"I am quite impressed with how things are turning out so far," Benzaiten remarked, giving Jesse a look of approval. "You seem to handle Sasuke's unpredictability fairly well. I'm glad I picked you out of the millions of candidates chosen for this little project of mine."

"You haven't seen what he did to my dining room wall yet," Jesse retorted with a huff. She gave Sasuke a frown that stated she still hadn't forgiven him for what happened. "The idiot punched a hole in my fucking wall because he couldn't keep his emotions under control."

Which is why I'm going to make sure Rachael or I don't bring up his fucked up past ever again if I can help it. I don't need him flying off the bat every time I turn around and mention something, Jesse thought annoyed that the patch-job he did was less than satisfactory. She had to step in and show him how to do it properly, before he got drywall compound all over the place. It was fairly amusing watching he try to do an decent job, but failing. It was one of few the thing she had ever witness him failing at.

"I was this close to throwing his ass out on the streets that day," Jesse replied, letting Benzaiten know exactly how pissed she had been about the whole fiasco. She put her hands on the hips. "He's lucky to still be living here."

"But you muddled through it like I thought you would," Benzaiten pointed out obviously pleased. "You even were able to convince your folks that he was harmless and just a close friend you met online when you introduce him to them on Sunday night. So far things are looking good."

Okay that freaked Jesse out. Has Benzaiten been spying on them the whole time?! "Why the fuck didn't you infer on Saturday then, if you knew what was going on?!" Jesse demanded.

"Because I knew that you were going to get an hold on the situation with no problem once your temper kicked in," Benzaiten explained with a shrug.

Jesse had to work at keeping her opinion to herself. Things could have gone wrong, terribly wrong on Saturday if she hadn't accidentally stumbled onto Sasuke's little dirty secret. If she hadn't somehow backed him into a corner and found out that Benzaiten not only sealed his powers away, but was threatening to take them away permanently from him if he didn't follow through with her scheme, things could have turned out a lot worst.

"It was a fluke," Jesse said hotly. God, this woman knew how to piss her off!

"Jesse's lucky he didn't try to hurt her," Rachael added . Now she was starting to not like the goddess. She gave Benzaiten a look that could freeze Hell over. "If he had decided to take his anger issues on her instead of the wall, she could have ended up in the hospital!"

"But he didn't did he? He punched the wall instead thus proving that he's meant to be here and that Jesse can handle him," Benzaiten retorted. She glanced at the rigid Uchiha in question. "It seems he knows there's no other way around his predicament now. In order to gain back what he has lost, he must get your friend to fall in love with him."

"That's horrible," May muttered, her voice barely above an whisper as horror washed over her.

"That's not going to happen!" Rachael snapped, jumping to her feet, nearly knocking over her chair in the process. "Jesse's smarter than that! You might as well send Uchiha home now! She won't fall for him even if he grovels on his hands and knees! She's better than that. Find someone else to play your twisted game!"

An long tense silence engulfed the room as Rachael's words echoed through the air. Jesse looked at her best friend in both astonishment, and fearing for her life. Benzaiten was not an kind, understanding type of deity. She was good at proving how cruel and manipulative she could be. Jesse had no idea what the goddess might have in store for Rachael for so reckless insulting her like that. She knew from experience it couldn't be good.

Benzaiten stared at Rachael, looking thoughtful. An quizzical smile on her face as she watched the redhead glare her down with obvious dislike. "It's admirable that you wish to protect your dear friend," Benzaiten said finally as an long moment. "But this is an journey meant for Jesse and Sasuke alone. It is not yours to take along side them, dear. Whether they fall in love or not has little to do with what you think will happen."

Benzaiten reached out without warning and grabbed onto Rachael's face, forcing the taller girl to bend over the table in a uncomfortable way.

"Hey!" May exclaimed as Benzaiten made Rachael look her in the eye. Her black eyes shifted to an glittering pink that glowed eerily in the dim lighting of the room. "Let her go!"

"I suggest you choose your battles wisely, Stone Rachael," Benzaiten warned her in a chilling voice that made the redhead's furious demeanor wither quickly. "Or else I might find something better to occupy your time with."

An butter knife was thrusted in front of Benzaiten's face, startling her. She immediately let go of Rachael, who lost her balance and hit the table before rolling off of it onto the floor.

May was instantly at her sister's side. "Oh my god! Rachael! Are you okay?" she cried out, kneeling at her sister's side while Benzaiten found herself at knife point with Jesse glaring her down venomously.

"Keep your hands to yourself," Jesse told the goddess. Her voice had dropped in volume as she kept the knife at eye level with the Japanese goddess. "Don't you dare fuck with my best friend, Benzaiten. Leave her and her sister out of this."

The shock left the goddess's face as an amused smile blossomed across it. "And the infamous temper once again rears it head," she said mockingly. "Put the knife away, dear. It will do you little good against me."

"I'll put the knife away when you vow to leave Rachael's life alone, got it?" Jesse seethed, her eyes narrowing, warning the goddess not to try anything funny. "Almighty goddess of love."

Benzaiten chuckled, smiling warmly. "Such a beautiful bond." Her eyes shifted to Sasuke whose eyes had widen at the fact that Jesse had drawn a knife on Benzaiten. "You should be taking notes, Uchiha Sasuke. This is what it means when you have bonds made of love and trust."

Jesse lowered the knife, the goddess's words catching her off guard. "You were threatening to screw around with my best friend's life, of course I'm going to step in!" she snapped, incredulous filling her voice.

Benzaiten chuckle turned into an light warm laugh that sang through the air like wind chimes and the spring breeze. An shudder ran through the humans in the room as it brushed up against them like an cat rubbing it's soft pelt against them.

"Of course. You would do anything for the ones you love, Wilds Jesse," Benzaiten replied with an genuine smile that was so disarming that Jesse automatically set the knife down. Her eyes widened at the warmth radiating from the goddess, in an almost welcoming way. "Such strength and willingness to protect that which is dear to you. You are exactly what this boy needs in his life right now, my dear."

Benzaiten waved her hand and suddenly Sasuke could move. He immediately put some distance between the goddess and him. His eyes glanced between Jesse and the meddlesome goddess. Questions burning brightly in his eyes. He hadn't seen Jesse go for a knife. He was almost proud of her for pulling the knife on Benzaiten.

He shifted closer to Jesse. "What makes you think I need someone like her in my life?" he asked. His muscles hurt from fighting against the invisible force that trapped him in place.

Benzaiten looked to Sasuke with a cryptic smile. "You'll find out as time passes, dear," she told him. "After all you have plenty of time to get to know each other on a deeper intimate level than anyone has ever had the chance to."

"You're talking about that bond you created between myself and Jesse, right?" he inquired cautiously. She was as bad as Kaguya, he decided as the she-witch simply smiled at him. It sent unpleasant chills down his spine. He wanted this being to be gone from his sight as soon as possible. But first there was a few things he needed to know. "I understand the thought process behind it. You wanted to make sure I didn't harm my warden during my stay here."

He looked to his scraped up hand. The one he banged up Saturday morning when he lost it. "Is the bond an purely physical thing or does it go deeper than that?" he inquired. He needed to know how much it was going inhibit him while he was in this world.

"That is for time to tell, dear," Benzaiten said cryptically. "Of course it will start out, physical, but like all relationships the physical will evolve into something more."

"And what does that mean?"

"Has it ever occurred to you why you're able to understand the language in this world so well, hm, Sasuke dear?" Benzaiten answered his question with a question of her own.

He remembered having that very same discussion with Jesse when he first came to do in this world and discovered he wasn't speaking the same language he was born with. He waited on her to elaborate.

"When I sown the seeds for the bond, I knew there was going to be an language barrier. So I tapped into the part of your brain that processes speech and initiated the process of language assimilation. I synced my universal language adapter with your cognitive functions and downloaded what I have learned over the centuries. Of course, I only gave you the ability to understand the English language verbally. Like when a toddler first learns how to speak in order to communicate with its parents. They have the words, but they're knowledge of how their native language works only exists on a verbal level," she explained with an shrug of nonchalance.

"So that's why he doesn't know how to read English, but can speak it fluently," Jesse simplified with an nod of understanding. "So I'm going have to teach him how to read then, right? I mean, there are going to be situations where he's going need to know how to read, right?"

"Very perceptive, dear," Benzaiten praised her. "Of course, knowing to speak a language and knowing how to read it fluently are two different things." She paused for a brief moment. Her face brightened. "Oh! Idea. I think I know how we have make this easier for Uchiha Sasuke, so he doesn't have to go through the cumbersome process of learning how to read again."

Sasuke gazed at the goddess not entirely sure he wanted to know how she was going to do that.

"And just how are you going to do that?" Jesse inquired, voicing the question for him. She eyed the goddess suspiciously.

Benzaiten stood up and approached the two. Jesse instantly backed up, holding up her hands. "How about you explain it from a distance, alright?" she said promptly.

Jesse did not trust the goddess at all. She had given her little reason to. After all the shit she had put her and her friends through in the last week and a half, she trusted the goddess as about as far as she could throw her!

" Oh don't worry, dear. This won't hurt," Benzaiten told her with a smile.

"Like I believe that."

Benzaiten pouted at Jesse's reluctance. "You truly think I'm going to put you through something unpleasant."

Jesse scoffed. "Well… Considering everything that's taken place," she shot back, seething. "Hell yeah!"

Benzaiten sighed and decided not to encroach on her personal space any further. "Fine. I will simply have to instruct you and Sasuke how to do this then instead," she said with a pout. Points for Jesse for spoiling the goddess's fun. "Listen closely and do exactly what I say for this to work properly, dears."

"And why should we follow you?" Sasuke spoke up. He trusted the goddess as much as Jesse did.

"And I suppose you'd rather start out by reading books for toddlers then, Sasuke. I can reassure you that it will take years for you to even reach the reading level of an English speaking adolescent in this world without your precious sharigan," she told him.

Sasuke held back a sigh. "Fine."

That pleased the goddess. "Alright then. I need you two facing each other with your hands up, palms facing each other," she instructed them.

Jesse looked to Sasuke as she turned to face him, her eyes searching his face. There was a pinch of annoyance around his mouth, but rather than that his face showed nothing.

"Now step toward each other until your palms are pressed flush against each other," Benzaiten continued. "Then interlocks your fingers."

Jesse felt her stomach flip-flop at the idea of holding hands with Sasuke. She felt an blush crept onto her face as their palms pressed together and their fingers intertwined. His hands were rough, calloused from years of training. She could feel the strength in them. It wouldn't take much for him to break every bone in her hand if he wanted to.

"You're blushing," Sasuke pointed out in a teasing tone.

"Shut up," Jesse shot back.

"Nuh-uh. No bickering you two. We need to stay focused here," Benzaiten reminded them. She smiled at their exchange of words. "In order for my magic to pass through each of you, you need to lock eyes and press your foreheads together. This will help the passing of knowledge from one person to the other."

Jesse stiffened at the idea of being that intimately close. Shit! She hadn't counted on this. She glanced at Benzaiten with an raised eyebrow silently asking the goddess if them being that close was really necessary.

"Just do it," Sasuke told her when he saw her hesitate.

"Says you," Jesse shot back anxiously, feeling her heart in her throat. God, what she had to be put through because of this stupidity she found herself in.

"Focus dear," Benzaiten reminded her with a chuckle.

Jesse braced herself as Sasuke leaned in to press his forehead against her. Their eyes met and she felt her breath catch in her throat. God, his eyes were actually an extremely dark shape of grey and not black like she originally thought. She swallowed, trying to keep her heart in her chest.

"Focus," Sasuke whispered as her eyes widened at their closeness.

Keep it together. Keep it together! Oh sweet Jesus, Jesse thought, feeling panic start to set in. I'm touching foreheads with Sasuke?! WTF?!

Suddenly she felt energy crawling along her skin. Like thousands of insects creeping across her skin, underneath her clothes, up her body and along her spine. She shuddered.

"Remember to keep your eyes locked, dears," Benzaiten's voice echoed through the air as an sudden preternatural breeze wrapped itself around the two of them. "Jesse, now I need to you open up that part of your mind where all your words are held. If you need to, imagine yourself typing out an story in your head."

Benzaiten's voice sounded miles away at the moment. All there was at the moment was Sasuke's intense gaze. The color of his eyes were so fascinating. Such an dark piercing grey. She felt like she was being drawn into them.

"Focus," Sasuke reminded his breath tickling her nose and lips. God, they were so freaking close she could kiss him!

Focus yourself, she thought angrily. It was a little difficult to focus, when all she wanted to do was close that distance between their lips and kiss him. She wanted to know what it felt like to have Sasuke's lips pressed flush against her. Was he an good kisser?

Whoa there, cowgirl! Her common sense yelled at her, snapping her out of her trance. You're kind of in the middle of something, remember?

Suddenly it felt like an thousand bees were stinging her brain, penetrating her skin, and the shell of her skull to get to the soft spongy organ inside.

Great, and just when I got rip of that stupid headache, Jesse felt herself thinking in dismay. The sensation vibrated through her skull. An numbing sensation soon followed afterwards.

"Now, dears. For this little process to finish, you need to do one last thing. To seal the deal if you may," Benzaiten's voice sounded an hundred miles away as Jesse and Sasuke endured the metaphysical attack on both of their minds as the magic work to access Jesse's literary skills.

As static filled her head, Jesse struggled to maintain focus. Her mind was torn between the stinging and the very eminent fact she was forehead to forehead with Sasuke. Her inner fan girl was going berserk, topped with an massive nosebleed and everything!

"You must kiss to seal the deal," Benzaiten's voice sang.

Wait… Did that crazy goddess just say what Jesse thought she did?!

Too late. Sasuke's lip molded hers. Her mind went blank at the feeling.

Suddenly pressure blossomed inside Jesse's head until it was almost unbearable. An thousand words ran through her vision also like an piece of paper being typed up on an old fashion type writer. There was a pinch and then the pressure released as quickly as it built up.

All that was left was the feeling of Sasuke's lips pressing against hers. And then they were gone. Jesse had trouble opening her eyes, her mind slow to comprehend what just occurred. She blinked a couple times and furrowed her eyebrows as her vision readjusted itself to find Sasuke looking at her wide eye. He looked a little blown away himself.

"Whoa," was all Jesse could manage. She and Sasuke kissed. She and Sasuke Uchiha kissed?! The realization of what took place hit her like an ton of bricks. She instantly backed away from him. Her eyes widened. "Holy shit!"

The cocky bastard smirked. "You're not a bad kisser."

She was sure her face turned ten shades of red.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own Sasuke Uchiha. He belongs to Kishimoto and the manga/anime of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. I am simply borrowing him for my own twisted amusement.

A/N: Heyo Everyone. Here is Chapter 16 for _Where Dreams Meet Reality_. I hope you all enjoy it and yes to **Alinys:** ^^ Benzaiten is a manipulative piece of work. I like the idea of goddesses or gods being mischievous or deceptive because that's how they're portrayed in mythology. They're not evil, but they're not entirely goody-two-shoes either. ^^ Also thank you to those who have clicked on the favorite/follow button. You guys are awesome!

Chapter Sixteen

An Gathering At the Wilds Cabin

"Let's see. Emailed script? Check. Called Vivy… Check-a-roo," Jesse muttered as she checked off each accomplishment in her schedule for the day. She had an piece of paper hanging on the refrigerator as an reminder of the things she wanted to get done over the weekend. "Mowed the lawn? Check. Had brunch with John and Coral?" She chuckled. "Yep and check."

The brunch had been rather entertaining, especially with Coral giving Sasuke all sorts of suggestions on potential locations he and Jesse could go for a "date." The bad ass ninja never seemed more out of his element than having to endure sitting in a bright cheery kitchen with Coral acting like an meddling mother hen, fussing over this and fussing over that. Although, it too made Jesse uneasy that Coral and John were convinced there was more going on between Sasuke and her that what they were telling them.

And then there was the fact Sasuke starting to act a wee bit on the different side himself…

Since the magical kiss to help complete Sasuke's language assimilation, she kept catching him staring at her. And it wasn't the usual calculating stare… There was heat in those eyes. The kind of heated gaze men got when they saw something they wanted.

It made Jesse uncomfortable. And very confused. And a wee bit turned on. Just one kiss… That's all it took?

"Wonder how long it's been for him," Jesse muttered as she gathered her gardening equipment. She felt way too restless right now to write. Sasuke was at the farm, helping out her dad and her uncle for the day. Thank god. Seeing that look on his face had Jesse wondered how long it had been since he last got laid. Sasuke was an very handsome young man, so she imagined he was use to getting what he wanted when it came to women and getting into their pants. Or maybe even men…

She frowned at the sight of holes chewed into the fertilizer bags that her dad brought two days ago. Fucking chipmunks.

"I'm going have to get the bee-bee gun," she muttered unhappily, looking at the fertilizer spilling out onto her garage floor. She hated chipmunks. Little bastards.

She sighed and grabbed the shovel, knowing she was going have to plan an stake out soon. Point and shoot. That was the name of the game. The little nuisances were also digging holes underneath her porch and in various spots in the garden. Hopefully, she'd at least take out one or two of them with the bee-bee gun.

Rachael and May had gone home for the weekend. Their mother had fallen on Friday night and landed the wrong way on a trip up the stairs in their house. Mrs. Stone had an broken leg and bruised ribs and was going to be in the hospital for a couple of days or so. That's what the doctor told Rachael and May when they arrived at the emergency room to meet up with their older sister, Becca.

Becca Stone lived an couple of counties away and was six years older than Rachael and May. She had decided to drop by for an visit that evening lucky enough for everyone. Who knows how long Mrs. Stone would have been laying on the floor in front of the stairs if her oldest hadn't decided to drop by for an surprise visit.

So now Rachael and May were charge of keeping an eye on the house while Mrs. Stone recuperated in the hospital. Thus cutting their stay two days short. Not that Jesse minded. Family came first. She understood that very well.

Hell, when her mother had to have surgery to get her gall bladder removed last spring, Jesse hardly left her mother's side at the hospital. Her mother was her world and for Rachael and May that was pretty much the same case for them.

Maybe I should stop by the store sometime and get an 'get well' card. I can drop the card off sometime after Mrs. Stone gets out of the hospital, Jesse mused as she planted the shovel into the spot she cleared away to make room for the two juvenile Nanking Cherry bushes.

The sound of an vehicle approaching did little to deter Jesse's focus on her work. She was in the midst of planting the first Nanking Cherry bush when the vehicle pulled into the driveway. She looked up to see the familiar beat up farm truck. So, her dad was dropping Sasuke off early so he could get ready for the big family gathering over at the Wild family cabin this evening, huh?

Sasuke hopped out of the pick-up. He looked annoyed as always and ready for an shower. Barnyard work was taking a little time getting use to, especially with the smell of manure constantly assaulted his sensitive ninja nose.

Did Jesse feel relatively bad about him having to deal with coming back reeking of cow shit every day? Well…. Not really. A little hard work never hurt anybody, and it gave her dad an extra pair of hands around the farm. Plus, like Sasuke pointed out before he was accomplishing nothing by sitting around her house all day while she was at work.

"Hey! Smile, Grumpy Face. You look like an skunk spried ya!" Jesse called to Sasuke as her father, Marcus, waved to her from the pick-up before backing out of the driveway. He ignored her and headed straight inside. She huffed. "Gee, how about an 'Hi, Jess, it's good to be home'?"

Jesse sighed and finished her task, before climbing back to her feet and putting all her tools back in the garage. She went inside to wash off her hands, feeling hot and sticky from the summer heat but also accomplished.

She took off her sandals and checked the time. About an hour to go before they had to head out. Hopefully, Sasuke was done in the bathroom so she could wash up.

The bathroom door was open so she took that as an hint he was in his room getting dressed. The idea of Sasuke walking around her home with only an towel wrapped around him, sent an spark of tingles to her lower regions. God, that would be so frigging hot.

"Easy hormones," she muttered to herself with an snicker. Just the idea along was enough to make her quiver. Wow, she really needed an secret meeting with B.O.B. Of course not till her period was done and over with. Freaking party pooper.

She went to grab an fresh pair of clothes before heading into the bathroom. "Uh…. What are you doing?"

Sasuke was leaning against the bathroom counter, managing to appear bored and annoyed at the same time. "You took long enough," he said, straightening up.

An heated blush filled her face at the implications in his voice as he turned that heated gaze on her. That and the fact he was partially clothed: he had taken off his shirt and his pants were unzipped.

She stood in the doorway, frozen to the spot. Was he waiting on her?! The fuck?!

"Uh…Sasuke seriously… No," she said quickly, already seeing where the conversation was going. Although the offer was tempting…. She quickly shook her head as he advanced on her. "No. Nope. Not gonna happen."

"Why not?" he inquired stepping into her personal bubble. He titled his head as an wicked smirk played on his lips. Those very same lips she kissed an couple days ago.

"Oh sweet Jesus," she uttered as the thought of wanting another taste crossed her mind. Damnit all! "First off, it takes a lot more than a simple kiss to get into my pants these days. Second off, you are so not my type. Third off, you are barely legal, dude! So I'm just going to go and wait while you take an shower by yourself-?!"

Sasuke backed her up against the door which had somehow closed without her realizing it. Her back pressed against the hard wood as she found herself cornered with his face mere inches from hers.

Too close! Her mind screamed frantically. Too fucking close!

Sasuke's eyes burned like embers in a fire. He placed both hands on either side of her head not allowing her room to escape. "You talk too much," he uttered before crashing his lips into hers.

Jesse's mental functions came to a halt. All that mattered at the moment was the way his lips moved against her and his half naked body pressed against hers. She leaned into the kiss, her mouth opening slightly automatically, allowing him to slip his tongue in without a struggle. It deepened the kiss and the sensations that sparked the flame inside of her.

God, it felt so freaking good. Kissing was always pleasant, but she never experienced a kiss this amazing. It was like someone ignited an fire inside her belly, reaching deep within her, sending all sorts of pleasant sensations throughout her entire body. Either Sasuke was that good a kisser or something was seriously right about this situation.

Sasuke kissed the side of her mouth and then worked his way across her jaw and then down to her neck. She shivered as he lightly bit her. Her hands curled themselves into tight balls, gripping her clothes as he ran his tongue up her throat and then kissed her shoulder.

"Feels good doesn't it?" Sasuke muttered as he made his way back up to capture her mouth into another heated kiss. He pulled away enough to look at her. "Let's try this again. Strip and get in the shower with me."

Jesse's mind was slow to start as he kissed her again for good measure. Strip and shower? Strip and Shower….

She buried her face in her clothes. God that boy had an effect her. And the offer was oh so tempting. She peeked over her shirt to see him smirking at her as he began shimmying out of his pants. Her eyes widened slightly at the fact an fine line of hair went from his naval down his flat stomach and disappeared into his boxers.

Jesus, this boy is going to be the death of me, Jesse thought. She could still feel his lips on hers! She needed to get out of there. She wasn't supposed to be in this situation.

But wouldn't it be faster if you two showered together? Eh? Eh? Her inner fangirl taunted in the back of her mind. I mean, come on an opportunity does not come along like this very often!

Yeah, except I'm on my period, you nitwit! I have to pull out the fucking tampon and that's not sexy. I can't do this! Jesse's rational mind argued back.

Well that's why they say when you got your period do it in the shower! Her inner fangirl sang.

Jesse cringed. Eeeeewwww!

Okay, her mind was made up. "Yeah. The answer is still no," she told him hastily sure her face was ten shades of red. "Tempting, but no. If you need to get your rocks off that bad, you have a hand." She hastily opened the door to let herself out. "Holler when you're done."

Sasuke gawked at the door as it slammed shut. She just… turned him down?! What was with her? One moment she was obviously into the whole making out thing with him, the next she practically bolted from the room. Usually, he could just take what he wanted, but Jesse was proving to be quite the challenge.

He smirked. "Guess it'll take some time." Finally an girl who was actually good at playing hard to get.

The drive to the family cabin took Jesse's rogue an mile down the road past the Wilds' Farms. An section of trees and thick shrubbery an archer thick lined the edge of a freshly cut field on the right side of the road. There an dirt road went over the slight incline of the field as it lead towards an depression where one corner of the field disappeared into the woods beyond. The rogue bounced as it crunched along the uneven road, going over dried up puddles and large stones.

The only sound in the interior of the car besides what Jesse called music was Sasuke's rapidly beating heart. On the outside he looked bored, maybe an little tense visibly, but on the inside his heart felt like it wanted to crawl out of his throat and run. Flashbacks of family gatherings he long since suppressed were finding their way back into his conscious memory. Without realizing it Sasuke was holding onto the passenger handle in a white knuckled grip.

He did not want to meet more of Jesse's family. He did not want to be reminded of what he lost. His family… His entire family was dead, and now he would have to sit through an lovey-dovey gathering of someone else's family and pretend it didn't hit him where it hurt.

"How ya holding up?" Jesse inquired, startling him. He practically jumped in his seat, her voice breaking through his thoughts. He kept his eyes on the dashboard, only glancing up for a second to see a small house coming into view on the left side of the dirt road.

"Fine," Sasuke answered quietly. He was not going to loose it in front of her. He was going to endure this nightmare. He was not going to fall apart.

He felt Jesse's gaze shift to him. He quickly turned his head. She wasn't going to see how much this was tearing him up inside. The panic in his chest only got worst as she pulled up onto the large spacious mowed yard. There were four others cars parked there along side hers. He could see some kind of game in process in the yard in front of where the vehicles were lined up. The group was made up two women, two men, and a couple of children all running after an checkered ball laughing and shouting to one another

He wanted to run for it. To hightail it out of there as far away as his legs would allow him.

"Sasuke… Sasuke." Jesse's voice broke though the panic. He felt an hand on his shoulder. He whipped his head around, her concerned face coming into his field of vision.

Sympathy showed on her face as plain as day.

"I can take you back to the house if you don't want to do this," Jesse offered. She glanced the outside of the car. An game of soccer was in progress with Anna and Jackson racing across the yard with her other cousins, Ethan and Meghan, in toe. Uncle Ron was also playing too, along with Aaron's wife, Sidney. She looked down and took Sasuke's hand. "You're shaking."

It took a long moment before Sasuke realized she was right. He was shaking. His hand was shaking! His body was shaking! He was pretty damn sure he looked like a cornered mouse about to face an snake in the struggle for life or death. What was wrong with him?!

"Sorry. I should have realized this was an bad idea," Jesse admitted quietly. "I thought for sure you would put on your big brave 'nothing frightens me' ninja face for tonight." She sighed as she smoothed her fingers over his quaking hand, tracing his knuckles. "Guess not."

A long awkward silence followed as Sasuke watched Jesse's fingers run over his hand again and again. He turned his gaze towards the front window and looked out towards the sky. He closed his eyes and focused on collecting himself. What was wrong with him? He wasn't supposed to fall apart like this!

He had severed all his connections a long time ago. He should feel nothing. He needed to feeling nothing. He was not going to fall apart like this. He was not this weak!

Gradually the shaking stopped. His heart rate dropped to a manageable level and he didn't feel like he was suffocating anymore. The feel of Jesse's fingertips ghosting over his knuckles and tracing the veins in his hand came to his attention. He looked towards the woman unsure what to say. She had her gaze towards the radio, watching the digital letters scroll across the flat screen, her hand moving of its own accord. When she felt him looking at her, she turned her head.

Sasuke expected her to say something sarcastic or ignorant like "are you finally done with your little break down," but she turned to look toward their hands thoughtfully. She remained quiet for a long moment.

"If you don't want to be here I can take you back and then come back myself. I won't judge you," she offered finally.

Sasuke stared at Jesse for a long moment. She was offering to take him back to the house so he wouldn't have to go through the agony of participating in a family gathering that reminded of what he lost. He sighed, mentally steeling himself for what needed to be done. "We came all the way here. It'd be pointless to turn around now."

Jesse took a long hard look at Sasuke. On the outside he was back to his indifferent "I'm top ninja of all time and you'd better not mess with me" façade. He had driven back the pain, the despair of his past once again. At times that like -when Sasuke refused to completely break down in the face of weakness- was when Jesse really admired him. Sure, he had trouble keeping his emotions in check all the time. Nobody could do that, but he always rose to the occasion when needed, facing adversity with a cool impassive expression and snark.

Jesse got out of the car and shut the door. She looked over to see Sasuke do the same, his mask back in place. The moment was gone. She moved around the car as the first "hey" and "hello" were shouted their way. Jesse waved to her relatives as she motioned for Sasuke to follow her towards the cabin.

"Hey everyone!" Jesse greeted back as she and Sasuke headed for the deck where her Aunt Cheryl and her mom were.

Both women were at one of the picnic tables set up on the deck facing the pond. Joanne was giving Aunt Sheryl a walk through on how to use her new I-Pad touch. Although by the sounds of it kooky Auny Cheryl wasn't exactly paying attention.

"Jesus Christ!" Aunt Cheryl swore frustrated as whatever she was doing didn't work. "Brought me back to the home page. I didn't want to go back to home page! Stupid thing. You think with me having an Facebook and I-phone I'd be good at figuring out these blasted things out by now."

"Hey Aunt Cheryl," Jesse greeted laughing and shaking her head in amusement.

"You have one of these yet, Jess?" Aunt Cheryl inquired as Joanne rose to give her daughter an hug. Aunt Cheryl was a medium size woman with dark tan skin from tanning all the time and an deeply wrinkled face. One of her front teeth was missing when she smiled. Her voice had an light southern accent in it. "I don't know what's worst: the fact this thing won't let me into my own pictures gallery or that fact Ron insisted we get one in the first place! Now I can't access the damn pictures we took while at the Grand Canon!"

"Well, if you stop pressing all the Apps and let me read the manual, we'd find them quicker," Joanne scolded her sister-in-law with an eye roll. She gave her daughter an bear hug. "Hey sweetheart. You're aunt is being an stubborn ox as usual."

"I do have ears you know," Aunt Cheryl shot back playfully as she got up to give her niece an hug. "Good to see ya, Sugar. And what do we have here? Honey, since when did you sign up for a mail ordered boyfriend?"

"Mailed ordered boyfriend?! Aunt Cheryl!" Jesse's face turned red at the thought. She looked to Sasuke who raised an eyebrow at her aunt way of wording things. She sighed. "Sasuke, meet my crazy aunt. Aunt Cheryl this is my roommate, Sasuke Yamoto."

"He's nothing but an babe. Honey, you sure you're old enough to be out of high school? You don't look any older than fifteen," Aunt Cheryl declared with a smirk as she sized him up. "You sure are a pretty boy, ain't ya?"

"I'm eighteen," Sasuke corrected quietly and glanced at Jesse with an bemused expression. "I graduated early."

"Ah…," Aunt Cheryl mused as she gave him a look. "Joanne told me about ya. Says your brother is in the navy stationed in the Philippines. Where at?"

"I can't think of the name of the city off the top of my head at the moment," Sasuke said nonchalantly as he went towards the edge of the deck to look towards the pond. "He's been stationed there for two years now."

"You and your folks planning on seeing 'im anytime soon? I know Jamie tries to phone home at least once a week… Right?" Aunt Cheryl looked to Joanne to verify what she said.

Joanne smiled fondly. "He called yesterday morning. Said they had him fixing one of their unmanned drones."

"So Jamie called? How's he hanging in there?" Jesse wanted to know eagerly. Her and Jamie skyped at least once a month or tried to anyway. She hadn't heard from him in a while.

"He's doing good. Haven't had to go out on an mission in a while," Joanne said with an look of relief on her face that her youngest was safe on the military base instead of being involved in a caravan or a mission hunting down the terrorist group, Isis. "Says he got the package I sent him."

"Alright. What does he think of the short story I'm planning on getting published?" Jesse inquired.

Joanne paused. "He didn't really say. Its probably something you'll have to remind him about. Knowing Jamie, he probably devoured the story as soon as he opened the package. He's always been your number one fan and all, but you know how Jamie is when he gets to talking."

Jesse had spent a couple of months working on a fictional story involving an zombie apocalypse survivor, an veteran by the name Sawyer, and how she struggled with PTSD while living in a world gone mad. She knew Jamie would appreciate it. He loved zombie movies and she knew he would be able to relate with the heroine in the story.

She smirked understanding. Being talkative ran in the family. "I'll do that then," she said.

Maybe she should leave an message on his Facebook. He checked it maybe once or twice a week or every other depending how busy his superiors kept him, but she knew he appreciated an little note from his favorite and only big sister.

"Hey Jess!" Aaron greeted stepping out the sliding screen door of the cabin. Aaron was the eldest son of Ron and Cherly's four kids. He worked as a mechanic at one of the Toyota dealerships in Eerie. Aaron had more of Cheryl's looks than his father with the natural wavy blonde hair and thin lips with an widen nose. The smile was also distinctly Aunt Cheryl too. "Hey! How's work going?"

Jesse shrugged. "Eric has been dogging me to get an flu shot. There's some nasty viruses going around right now."

"You should think about getting one, Jess," Joanne advised her daughter sternly. "A lot of the teachers having coming down with some nasty colds this summer. The kind that start in your sinuses and then settle down in your chest for weeks. I plan on getting one myself come Monday. If Eric is offering you one, you should do it."

Jesse waved off her mother's concern. There was no way she's going to let Nancy or anyone for that matter get near she with a needle. Even if it was so she wouldn't catch whatever kind of cold was going around at the moment. "Yeah. No. I'll take my chances."

"If the people at your work are offering an vaccine, you need to get one," Sasuke spoke up surprisingly enough agreeing with Jesse's mother. He leaned against the railing from the far side of the porch, making himself apart of the conversation. "If you can avoid getting sick all together by taking precautions, it'd be better to do it while you can."

Jesse rolled her eyes. "Awe. Don't you want to nurse me back to health if I come down sick, Sasuke sweetheart?" she teased in a mockingly sweet voice, batting her eyelashes at him.

Sasuke gave her a annoyed look. "Being sick is a burden to yourself and everyone around you. If there's a way to avoid it you should do it."

"Thank you, Sasuke. Listen to what your roommate has to say, sweetheart," Joanne agreed with a nod and gave Jesse a firm stare. Her voice held that "I'm your mother and I know what's best" tone. "Maybe you should get Sasuke signed up for one too. I'm sure he doesn't want to be sick either while he's here."

"So that's the new roommate we've heard so much about, huh?" Aaron said with a chuckle as Sasuke kept his distance from the Wilds family members. He walked over to introduce himself. "Name's Aaron. I'm Cheryl's son. How long are you planning staying here?"

"An year," Sasuke said promptly as Aaron shook hands with him. He instantly decided Aaron was too overly friendly for his likening.

"An year, huh? Heard you've been helping Uncle Giles and Marcus on the farm," Aaron started chatting away. "I use to work on the farm myself when I was a teen. How do you like it so far?"

"It's alright."

"You and Jesse got any major plans while you're here?"

"It's up in the air right now. Although I have a sneaking suspicion Jesse has an few surprises in store for me while I'm here."

"Make sure you check out Asbury woods while you're here. It's a beautiful park. Sidney and I like taking the kids there during the summer. The trails are great for a nice long hike. We always make a day of it."

"I'll keep that in mind," Sasuke replied. "Sounds like something I'd be interested in."

Sasuke kept his mask firmly in place and his walls high throughout dinner. He endured the constant questions being thrown his way. Especially from Jackson, who gawked at him with open curiosity. The eight year old seem to have little understanding for personal boundaries and was constantly asking him questions that he had no real answers for. Ignoring the boy was out of the question. Sasuke was the playing the part of a person with an functional family, who was known to be quiet, but good natured. The part he played was nothing like his real self, but right now his choices were extremely limited.

"So you took martial arts! Whoa you must be a thirteenth degree black belt by now!" Jackson exclaimed. The kid had so much energy! "Can you show me some moves? How many competitions have you been in? Did you ever make it to nationals?"

So many damn questions….

Jesse snickered.

Sasuke shot her a look. Of course, she found this hilarious. She got a kick out of watching him being put on the spot. Damn woman…

"How many moves have you mastered? Can I see some? Can I? Can I?" Jackson wanted to know, bouncing up and down on his seat at the picnic table.

"How long have you been doing karate, Sasuke?" Sidney, Aaron's wife, inquired with a laugh at her son's enthusiastic nature. If the kid kept bouncing in place like that, he was going to launch himself into the air.

"All of my life," Sasuke answered truthfully. "Before I was enrolled into school."

"Was it something your parents encouraged?" Sidney wanted to know. " Or did you always wanted to learn karate?"

"Taijutsu actually." Sasuke corrected. "It was encouraged. My brother was a prodigy and it was expected of me to follow in his footsteps. My entire family excels in the subject."

"Wow. That's pretty cool," Sidney replied.

"Show me some moves! Moves! Moves!" Jackson cheered loudly.

Good Kami, this kid was persistent….

"If Sasuke isn't in the mood to demonstrate, he doesn't have to do. Calm down. You're going to fall out of your seat, silly," Sidney reprimanded her energetic son.

"Ah, but I wanna see some karate!" Jackson complained.

"Me too! Me too!" Anna chimed in, coming over to the table. The little girl had been sitting at the other picnic table with her grandparents and Jesse's parents.

Sasuke inwardly groaned. His experience with kids was limited from all the time he spent on the road on his mission in achieving his revenge. Were all kids this damn annoying? Jackson actually reminded him of a younger version of the dobe… Expected spoiled and with two loving parents.

"Well Sasuke?" Jesse poked him with her spoon simpering away. "Give Anna and Jackson a show. Strut your stuff."

"You're enjoying yourself way too much," Sasuke muttered annoyed. Of course she'd egg on him. He wasn't a show-off. Why put forth the effort to impress people anyway, especially if it wasn't important? He was a shinobi. He had other things to worry about than demonstrate his skills in taijutsu for some kids.

"And you're skills are wanted. Go for it! They want to see," Jesse prompt him with a grin. "Don't make that face at me, Mister."

"Now, Jesse, don't put him on the spot," Sidney chided her with a laugh. "It's okay if he isn't in the mood."

"He's just being a bump on the log," Jesse replied with a roll of her eyes. "I seriously gotta you out of your shell while you're here."

"I like my shell," Sasuke retorted.

Jesse bumped him with her hip, grinning. "Oh really? Guess, I'll have to drag you out then by force if necessary!"

"You're an idiot."

"And you're a fun sucker."

Sasuke gave her an raised eyebrow. Jesse had a habit of being immature and finding ways to poke fun at him. There were definitely times when it was more amusing than annoying. He smirked at her bratty behavior. "I'm going to laugh if you stick out your tongue like a child next."

She did it. He grabbed her by the nose. "Hey!"

"You are so immature sometimes," he told her smirking.

"Jerk."


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own Sasuke Uchiha. He belongs to Kishimoto and the manga/anime of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. I am simply borrowing him for my own twisted amusement.

A/N: Heyo Everyone. Chapter Seventeen is ready to be enjoy. I got a lot of feedback this time around and man, don't I feel the love! ^^ I love hearing from my readers whether its private messengers or reviews or critiques. So thank you all so much for your reviews and clicking on that favorite/follow button!

Now I do have another project in the works called _**Anime High**_ and it's posted up to chapter 12. It's done in script form and features Jesse, Rachael, and May. In fact the Jesse, Rachael, and May in _**Where Dreams Meet Reality**_ are based off of the three heroines from _**Anime High**_. Obviously if you guys do decide to check out _**Anime High**_ you'll spot a lot of changes and tweets to the three characters. _**Anime High**_ is an collaboration between me and a dear close friend of mine. The writing style and the way the plot flows is definitely different. It's an high school based story and it involves not only characters from **Naruto Shippuden** , but also characters from **InuYasha** , **Fruits Basket** , **Gundam Wing** , **Kuroshitsuji** , **Sailor Moon** , and **YuGiOh**. So while you guys wait for the next update, don't be afraid to pop over to _**Anime High**_ and give it a try. I post every Saturday. My friend and I are pretty much making it up as we go and there are plot bunnies everywhere. I am attempting to tie up those loose ends as we write, but my partner in crime tends to get hung on others aspects of the story like the blossoming romances…You have been warned. ^^

Chapter Seventeen

Fireside Chats

Jesse reclined in the canvas chair. Her gaze trained on the flames cracking, and licking, and blacking the wooden pyramid inside the fire pit. The embers underneath the freshly deposited logs, glowed with an ethereal like appearance. The orange glow around the blacken centers almost jewel like.

Uncle Ron and Aaron were animatedly recounting an fishing trip where Jackson had hooked an pike unexpectedly. The eight year old spent almost thirty minutes battling it out with the large fish, his grandfather and dad cheering him on. With a little help from Ron, Jackson reeled in his first pike. The little boy was so proud of himself, and of course while the tale was being told Jackson had his chest puffed out with pride.

Sasuke had gotten up and wandered off a little while back. Probably five minutes ago. Jesse could faintly make out his silhouette on the other side of the dam where the pond's edge dropped off in a sharp incline in the field. She gave him the space he needed. She figured hanging around with her family was a lot harder than he let on. It was her family after all. And Sasuke had lost his entire family, parents and relatives in all, when Itachi received orders to kill off the entire clan that tragic night.

She didn't go after him. Jesse let him be alone with his thoughts for the moment.

"So… Jess," Sidney said taking an seat next to Jesse after she was done chatting with Aunt Cheryl, Meghan, and Joanne. Sidney had a grin of mischief on her face as she studied Jesse. "You and Sasuke… I'm detecting there's something a little more than friendship going on here."

Jesse looked to Sidney with an raised eyebrow. "Well… I'm not sure."

"About?" Sidney prompted with girlish delight. Sidney and her always got along. Sidney was six years older than Jesse and liked to write as a hobby, when she wasn't busy taking Jackson to soccer lessons or taking Anna to swimming lessons. At the moment she was content with being an stay-at-home mom and following her passion as an part-time blogger. Of course, most of her blogs were advice on family and relationships.

"About what we are right now," Jesse said going for a half truth. It was true. She wasn't sure what to call their 'relationship' at the moment.

Sasuke only been in her care for two weeks now. That was hardly enough time for any real romantic feelings to develop in her book. Sure there was definitely lust there. She found Sasuke yummy to look at. Who wouldn't? The guy was freaking eye-candy, but there was much to be desired when it came to his personality. She wouldn't say they were friends either. Friendship also took time to develop and well, maybe she's just call them reluctant roommates at best, who might be sexually attracted to each other. Well, she was definitely sexually attracted to him and she was starting to get the impression he was attracted to her on some level, whether it be because he just hadn't gotten laid in a long while or it was because he truly found something about her appealing physically.

"Well, you could take him out sometime on a 'date' as 'friends' to see how he acts while out in public with you," Sidney suggested.

"Oh! Are we talking about Jesse's love life?" Meghan inquired, dropping in to participate in the fireside gossip as well. "I gotta hand it to ya, Jess. You caught yourself a fine piece of work. He's gorgeous! How the heck did you snag a guy like that online?"

"He was one of my critics, alright?" Jesse said quickly going with the story she and Sasuke put together. "His username always popped up in the reviews in my fanfictions and original works. It wasn't till I bumped into him in one of the forums that we really started communicating."

"Oh…. Sounds stalkerish," Meghan teased. "You sure he wasn't stalking you from the beginning?"

"Sasuke… An stalker?" Jesse had to admit the idea was pretty funny. He never showed any romantic inclination throughout the entire series, especially after the time skip. She wondered if he ever met a girl he was slightly attractive more than for a one night flight. "He's the type of individual who likes to critique others and he just found my stories better written than others. Of course, he gave me a lot of pointers and said how some of my stuff was kind of predictable plot wise, but otherwise he enjoyed reading my work. It was sheer luck we meet on the same forum."

"Which forum was it?" Sidney asked curious about the mysterious roommate of Jesse's.

Jesse thought about all the real forums she use to participate in when she was heavy into writing fanfiction. "It was one of the ones involving _Doctor Who_. The members were debating over whether Peter Capaldi could measure up to Matt Smith and David Tentant."

"So… have you two, you know, done anything since he's gotten here?" Meghan inquired with a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows.

"You know my kids aren't in bed yet," Sidney scolded Meghan with a shake of her head and laugh. Anna was currently curled up in a blanket on Aunt Cheryl's lap and Jackson was in engrossed in what Uncle Giles, Ron, and Jesse's father were talking about on the other side of the fire.

"I think they're safely out of ear shot," Meghan replied, looking towards the two youngest members. She looked to Jesse. "Well? Have you?"

"You know I don't operate like that, Meghan," Jesse retorted peevishly. "Sasuke and I are strictly friends at the moment. I don't do friends with benefits."

"You're so old fashion, Jess," Meghan said with a shake of her head disappointed. "Of course, I should expect you to keep Mr. Gorgeous on a tight leash romantic wise."

"Well, unlike some people , others like to know where they stand with a guy before hopping into the sack," Sidney replied. "Although the way Sasuke looks at Jesse suggest he might have other plans in store."

Jesse groaned inwardly. So he was even looking at her like that around her family? Seriously?! "Is it really that obvious?"

"So there is something going on between you two!" Meghan crowed triumphant.

"No. No. I didn't say that. I just mean even I noticed how he stares at me," Jesse corrected hastily. Why was her love life suddenly the topic of interest? "Guys, he's younger than me. Freshly out of high school."

"Just how old is he? He is at least eighteen right?" Sidney wanted to know, giving Jesse a look.

"Yes. He's eighteen."

"So… then its perfectly legal. After all age does not matter once you're out of high school. Although its kind of adorable that you're considering robbing the cradle, Jess," Meghan teased.

"I'm not considering anything, Meghan."

"Well, he is by the looks of it. He obviously is looking to push the boundaries," Sidney replied. "He's come all this way to stay an year with you. I think it's pretty obvious he wants to get know you personally."

Jesse lapsed into silence. She was more than a little conflicted over the issue at hand. Should she indulge Sasuke in a little nookie-nookie? Indulge in her own fantasies of wild awesome sex with the anime bishie of her dreams?

Her inner fangirl screamed "Yes! Yes!"

Her mature rational side begged to differ on the subject. There was too much risk and she knew exactly what kind of person Sasuke was. He would use her. Would she really be okay with that?

The answer was obvious: No.

Jesse, months ago, made a promise to herself to never ever let herself fall for the bad boy type again. How many times in the past had she fallen for the exact same type of guy and found herself with a broken heart because she rushed into things? Now that she thought about it, her whole trust issues and past was like a big cliché in some respects…

It started in tenth with her first boyfriend. His name had been Jeremy. He was the stereotypical bad boy. Got busted smoking cigarettes in the boy's bathroom, played guitar in a band that would never go anywhere and flirted with anything that had an vagina. She had a huge crush on him since middle school and finally got up the nerve to ask him out. At the time she was naïve, innocent to think she could get the bad boy and be the girl that changed his world.

They went out for a month. She spent lunch time at the table with him and his troublemaking friends, go to watch him practice the guitar after school. He would often make little jabbing comments or say something off like how he spent nights partying with one of his gal pals drinking or doing crack, but she thought it was him was being cool, and doing things like that were apart of the appeal of the bad boy.

And then he told her he loved her and she fell right into his trap. One night. That was all it took and then he tossed her aside the next day. He started avoiding her and ignoring her afterwards. It took two months to get it through her head that he was done with her. She was just a fling.

You think once was enough, but no, Jesse didn't get rib of her romantic views or attraction to the bad boy for a long time after that. There was Steve who was in her pottery and philosophy classes her first semester of college. That lasted what? A couple of months?

Shortly after that was Tracy who worked as a cashier at Starbucks. He played guitar too and he had a thick deep voice when he sang that went straight to her heart. She had gone out with him from February till June. It had been nice while it lasted. He wrote her songs, left little cute texts every day on her phone for the first three months. Then she found out he was seeing a girl named Tiffany on the side for a couple of months before she broke it off with him at the beginning of June. After she broke up with him, not even a week later his face book status declared he was going out with the other girl.

Then there was Daruis, the transfer student from Italy. Rachael introduced Jesse to him. Daruis was apart of the International club. Within the first two weeks after meeting him and flirting with him, he told her, he wanted a fling with an American girl. Just a fling, that's all he wanted. She should have had someone slap her right there and then when she said she might able to fulfill that little fantasy.

God, she had been so stupid…. Why did she think it was okay?! She was better than that!

Man… Why I am even considering it? Jesse thought angrily, lapsing into silence as Meghan and Sidney moved onto another subject. She knew damn well what the ending was going to be.

She should not even try it! It would be stupid to even entertain such thoughts. She was done with being someone else's guilty pleasure. An fling…

She stared into the flame, hoping the aesthetics of a camp fire might distract her from the gloomy thoughts.

"Jess," Sasuke voice pierced through Jesse's thoughts.

She jumped in her seat startled. He snuck up on her. She turned to look over her shoulder at him. "Yeah?"

Sasuke motioned for her to follow him. "Walk with me."

What did he want?

Jesse sighed and climbed to her feet, feeling in a rather irritable mood now. God, she hated how easily she could go from having a great time to being depressed. She really was trying to break that cycle and live with a more positive mind set.

The firelight dimmed the further away they moved from the fire pit. The air temperature had dropped about ten degrees since the sun disappeared from the sky. The moon rose above the horizon, the world lost in a cloak of royal purples, muted grey-greens, and blues.

Jesse always liked nighttime. It was so mysterious. Different from the day.

A light mist graced the edge of the pond as she and Sasuke walked along in silence. For the moment the walk was doing wonders for her mood. Maybe she just needed to get up and go for a walk.

Sasuke stopped at one of the smaller docks that were built around the edge of the pond. He stared out into the shimmering ink like surface of the pond under the starlight.

Jesse stood a few feet away and looked towards the fire. It was barely a glowing orange light in the distance. The sounds of conversation and laughter carried on the wind to where her and Sasuke was.

"I want to thank you," Sasuke said breaking the quiet.

Jesse had to do a double take. "What?"

Sasuke turned to her. "Thank you."

"For what?" Why was he thanking her? She hadn't done anything of great significant. Well… expect when holding his hand in the car when he was fighting against the pain of what he lost. "Are you…" Maybe it was better not to ask why. She looked to him and just shrugged. "What are friends for?"

"Friends…" Sasuke looked to her as she turned to stare across the pond and beyond the trees towards the sky with its millions of glimmering stars.

"Well, yeah. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here. I mean after all, everyone needs a friend in their life," Jesse said quickly. Yeah, say something like that. She was going to play the nonchalant card: Keep it simple stupid. Don't read into it.

She heard Sasuke sigh. She thought that was what that needed to be said. She did not expect him to wrap his arms around her shoulder. The sudden feeling of being held made her instantly stiffen.

"Uh… What are you…?"

"I don't intend to be friends," Sasuke told her quietly.

Jess felt her heart stutter. Crap. Crap! Crap! Not this again. "Sasuke, we've been through this. I don't do friends with benefits. I don't do flings."

Sasuke slid his hands down her bare arms before wrapping his arms around her waist. "Hm… What's wrong with giving it a shot? Why are you so against this?"

"I told you… I've had enough bullshit from guys, okay?" Jesse attempted to pull herself free. He wasn't letting go. She was starting to get pissed. "I've had my heart broken enough thank you very much."

"So because some guys broke your heart a few times you're against ever trying again? That's pretty extreme," Sasuke said sounding surprised.

"I didn't say that," Jesse retaliated hotly. He finally let her go. She turned towards him with a glare. "Just because I don't want to do anything with anyone right now, doesn't mean I've given up on dating period. It's just that right now I'm focusing on myself."

She set her hands on her hips akimbo, determined. "I've just moved into my own place seven months. I have a car. I have rent. I'm working and I'm establishing myself as an author right now in the publishing industry. I rather focus on turning my passion into a reality. Someday I'll be ready to date again, but right now that's not on my agenda."

"You… You are one strange girl," Sasuke said after a long moment of studying her face. He smirked and moved closer to her. His fingers touched an loose lock that fell out of her hair and pushed it behind her ear. "You're different…. I like it."

Jesse's mouth went dry. What was she supposed to say to that?! Dear God… What was Sasuke getting at?! Was he trying to play her?!

She tried to back away, but Sasuke was having none of it. He took a step closer every time she tried to move back. He reached out and took her by the shoulders and leaned in to brush his lips against her forehead.

She froze…. What the?!

"I think I like it," he repeated whispering against her forehead. "I like that you're different. Unpredictable. You might be worth it."


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own Sasuke Uchiha. He belongs to Kishimoto and the manga/anime of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. I am simply borrowing him for my own twisted amusement.

A/N: Heyo Everyone. Here's Chapter Eighteen as promised. I want to thanks those who have reviewed and/or clicked on the favorite/follow button. You guys are awesome. To **Real no Shinobi** : Good to know I was able to make it sound like something Sasuke would actually say. It's a challenge writing his character without adding my own flavor to him To **xKaminix** : Glad you liked the bathroom scene. There will be more chances for Sasuke to try and get into Jess's pants! I'm not saying its going to be easy though. Jesse is going to give that Uchiha an run for his money. ^^ To the guest reviewer: That boy is going to keep trying, but like I said, Jesse's not going to make it easy on him. And yeah, there is some risk doing it on the shower.^^

Chapter Eighteen

Coon Hunt

Might be worth it? Might be worth what?!

Jesse gaped at Sasuke, her mouth opening and closing unable to verbalize her confusion. The cocky ninja smirked and then had the nerve to turned around and walked back to the fire. He left her there to process what transpired. Her heart thumping loudly in her chest as she struggled to decipher the game he was playing.

Jesse was still trying to read between the lines even after she and Sasuke headed back to her house an one hour later around eleven. The air inside the interior of the car tense on Jesse's part as she fought the urge to throttle Sasuke for playing around with her feelings.

Dammit, it shouldn't be this hard! Jesse thought after Sasuke disappeared into his room. She listened to the hum of the microwave as she heated herself up an nice hot cup of Tension Tamer tea. The whole situation felt absurd. Why would she even consider the idea that Sasuke might have taken a liking to her and her smart ass ways?!

"Ridiculous," she muttered as the microwave beeped. She really needed to get herself grounded. She used potholders to pull the piping hot cup of water out before dipping the tea bag in and beginning to stir. "Sasuke, you dick. Just what kind of game are you playing?"

He used people. Sasuke did not hesitate in using others for his own gain. She was no different.

"Don't get yourself so worked up, Jess," she told herself. "He's just doing what he thinks is going to make you go all soft and fall head over heels for him. Girl, keep your wits about ya." She heaved an sigh. "Freaking ridiculous. Ridiculous."

Jesse retired to the dining room and turned on her computer. She wasn't in the mood to sleep. In fact she doubted she would have enough time to anyway. She was supposed to report back to the cabin around two in the morning. So she might as well work on the notes for book three in her naga series.

She brought up the document on the computer and scrolled down through what she typed so for. Book three centered around April Snow's story. April Snow background was very similar to Jesse's. She grew up on a family farm, helping her dad and uncles with chores around the barn. She had two younger siblings: one brother and one sister. Her mother was a stay-at-home mom who was loving and definitely the person who wore the pants in the family.

April like, Tina in book one, rebelled against the idea of becoming apart of the Golden Eye tribe. At the beginning of the book she refuses to attend the opening ceremony where the ambassadors of the naga tribe come to the surface and meet with the town's officials to appraise the women chosen to become brides. Her father, David Snow, even goes as far as to threaten the policeman whose come to collect her from the farm at gun point.

Time moved quickly and before Jesse knew it was time to get herself ready. She dawned on the camouflage and went downstairs to get her rifle from the safe. She checked the safety and put the ammo cartridges in her purse before heading up the stairs.

Surri greeted her enthusiastically at the top step, weaving her body between Jesse's legs. "Sorry baby, but momma's has her hands full. I can't pick you up right now," she told her as she headed for the door to put her gun in the Rogue.

She doubled check where her extra spare keys were inside the garage before locking up. Climbing into the car, she inserted the key into the ingestion and threw it into reverse and backed out of the driveway.

Everyone was gathered in the kitchen by the time Jesse arrived. Jackson was practically exploding with energy, all stoked for his first coon hunt, while Anna was curled up in one of the chairs dozing off. Jesse could hear her father's booming voice from outside as he talked loudly with Aaron and Uncle Ron and Uncle Giles. Cloey and Oscar greeted her at the door, barking.

"Heya Oscar! Heya Cloey!" Jesse greeted the two beagles, kneeling down to pet both their heads. She balanced her rifle against the inside of her knee, careful as Oscar bounced up to greet her with a kiss. "Awe, I missed you too buddy."

"Heya, Jesse. You ready for coon hunting?" Aaron called from the kitchen.

"You know it."

"Good grief. Keep it down. Some of us are trying to sleep!" Aunt Sheryl hissed from the bedroom door. "You guys are awfully loud!"

"You can always join us," Uncle Ron taunted.

"Hell no. I don't want to see you torment some poor racoon!"

Laughter ensued. It was well known that Aunt Sheryl didn't approve of hunting. She loved all animals no matter the species. Her and Uncle Ron's fury family included two cats, two dogs, an iguana, and one chatty Cockatoo. She had been badgering Ron to let her adopt an baby skunk, but he hadn't budge yet on the issue.

The humidity of the air dropped since midnight, but Jesse still felt uncomfortable in her layers: two pairs of mid-calf socks, boots, camouflage pants, an forest green camisole under an long sleeve camouflage shirt and baseball hat. She was definitely overdress for seventy degrees as she followed Jackson and Anna through the thicket. With their dark clothing it was hard to differentiate her father and Aaron from the thick foliage up ahead.

They were heading towards the creak bed that ran parallel along the steep terrain behind the farm and into Halls property. The Halls family and Wilds family were friendly neighbors and allowed for crossing one property to another. During deer season, either family would call ahead to let the other know when they were planning on heading onto others property to hunt.

Cloey and Oscar's regular collars had been switched for flashy fluorescent colors for when the chase started so no one would accidentally shoot them. The dogs were somewhere up ahead of Marcus and Aaron, making the thicket rustle as they trotted along.

The woods at night were quiet. The occasional hoot of an owl in the distance pierced the darkness. Dried leaves and sticks snapped under boot as the hunting party carefully made their way down the sloop. Uncle Ron had to pick Anna up at one point and lower her down off a mossy rocky edge to Aaron.

"When are we going to find an coon?" Jackson wanted to know breaking the quiet.

"Soon. Soon," Aaron reassured his son. "But you have to be quiet or else the coons will hear us coming an mile away."

"Keep we keep one if we find one?" Anna inquired at one point.

The unanimous answered to that one was a definite "No."

Twenty minutes in and suddenly the beagles went nuts. Their noses picked up the scent of a coon. Their howls of excitement shattered the night as they headed for the creak bed. The sound bounced off the trees and echoed through the darkness around the group.

Jesse picked up her pace as her father and Uncle Ron and Aaron encouraged the dogs vociferously. Her boots thumping against the ground as she hurried through the brush. Her rifle bounced against her back as she hurried, while trying to keep the youngest members of the hunting party in her sights. Jackson was up ahead, bounding through the brush loudly, while Anna struggled to keep up with her brother, having to wormed her way over an large fallen tree. It's body laiddiagonal across a sunken formation in the ground, the tips of its longest branches meeting with the gravel of the creak bed.

Boots splashed into water and navigated the winding creak, careful to avoid slippery pebbles and larger stones that peeked through the shallow water that glimmered in the moonlight like black ink. The sounds of the beagles cornering a coon vibrated through the darkness. The barking and yipping came from a simple point up ahead.

"Where it is?! Where it is?" Jackson demanded eagerly as he, Anna, and Jesse caught up with the other grown-ups. The beagles were baying at the base of a ancient birch, circling it restlessly. They reared up on their hunches and barked and whined, peering up at their query.

Aaron flicked on a flood light and raised its beam up into the tree. Two blinking glowing eyes peered down from the highest branch, the body barely visible through the dancing green leaves as the branches swayed in the light breeze. The raccoon peered down at its antagonizers silently. It was rather small, more than likely a juvenile just starting out on its own.

"That's only a small one. It wouldn't have much meat on the bones yet," Uncle Ron remarked as Aaron allowed the kids to take turns holding the flood light and pointing out the raccoon. "It probably just left its mother not too long ago."

"So we can't shoot it? It's a baby?!" Jackson was surprised.

"Not a baby. Just a youngster. Not worth killing. We'll let it live," Marcus replied thoughtfully. "Cloey! Oscar! Come on! Come on, you silly dogs. Leave that raccoon alone!"

It took some coaxing before the beagles returned to Jesse's father's side. He knelt down and gave each dog a treat as a job well done, before the group continued.

"I want a pet raccoon. They're so cute!" Anna piped up as they followed the creak bed. The creaks were pretty dry this year. "Can we keep one if we find one again! Please! Please!"

"Now, Anna. The answer is no. Raccoon carries things like rabies. They're not pets," Aaron explained to her.

"But I saw on youtube videos where people had them as pets and they were so adorable," Anna argued. She gave Aaron puppy dog eyes. "I bet it will be fun."

"Maybe we ought to have left that one back with the other animal lovers," Uncle Ron commented to Jesse and Marcus with a roll of his eyes. "She's going to be another Sheryl."

"Hey now! That's your wife you're talking about," Jesse scolded him in a teasing tone. She adjusted the strap of her rifle. "Besides we don't actually have to kill any tonight if we don't find one fat enough for your stew."

To be perfectly honest, Jesse'd rather not try out Uncle Ron's raccoon stew. It was little too adventurous even for her taste bubs and she was usually willing to try anything once. Backwoods cooking was something she only heard Aunt Sheryl and Uncle Ron talk about at family gatherings, so things like roasted rabbit, squirrel soup and barbeque raccoon were something she or Jamie never tried growing up.

Her mother wasn't into cooking redneck dishes. She came was born and raised in town, so things like squirrel and raccoon were vermin only. Not suitable for eating.

Soon the baying of the beagles pierced the night again as they picked up another scent. And the group was off, following the howls and barking of the dogs along the creak bed.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I do not own Sasuke Uchiha. He belongs to Kishimoto and the manga/anime of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. I am simply borrowing him for my own twisted amusement.

A/N: Happy Holidays everyone! Thank you to those who have clicked on the favorite/follow buttons and also thank you to **Realworld No Shinobi** for reviewing. Hope you all enjoy this new chapter. ^^

Chapter Nineteen

A Nice Quiet Evening

Jesse pulled into her driveway. Another payday. Another paycheck in the bank. She sat in her car and checked her messages on her phone. There was one from her mother wondering if she and Sasuke wanted to come over Saturday night for dinner. Another one was from her editor. She held the phone up to her ear.

"Hey Jesse. This is Vivy. I'm reviewing your manuscript and the news isn't good. Call me when you get this. We got a lot to talk about."

Jesse felt that tall-tale knot form in her stomach. Great. Something was wrong with the rough draft she sent to her editor. She knew that Vivy would have her do couple of rewrites on the manuscript for book two. It was unavoidable. Especially with a nit-picky editor like Vivy.

"Might as well get this over with," Jesse muttered, steeling herself as she scrolled down her list of contacts and tapped on Vivian Bush's number. The phone rung three times before Vivy picked up.

"Hello. This is Vivian Bush of Random House Publishing."

"Hey… Vivy. It's Jesse Wilds. I got your message about there being trouble with my manuscript for _Slithering Embrace_ ," Jesse replied getting straight to the point. No use in pleasantries.

"Quick on the draw as always, Jess. Good. Good. Let me pull up your manuscript," Vivy said. There was long pause on the other line. "The concept for your story is solid, but how the plot flows is sketchy. Plus the romance between Lokesh and Whitney isn't very intense. It's mellow compared to your first book."

"Well, you know there are relationships out there like that. Couples who just click and all. I wanted to portray that," Jesse explained. "Give Lokesh and Whitney an genuine feel of what true soul mates are like. Not the butchered view you constantly see on tv, in movies, and in other books, a flow that isn't too intense because they just click and they don't feel the need to hide from each other."

"Jesse honey, I'll be honest with you. This is a paranormal romance novel you're writing. Such relationships, no matter how reality based they are, do not sell well in this genre. The readers want intensity. They want to see that push and pull of inner turmoil of the main heroine struggling to come to turns with her soul mate not being of this world," Vivy lectured. "Whitney is very… bland as a heroine. She lacks depth. You need to fix her background story a little. Give her some darker aspects. While with Lokesh, he's too much of a boy scout. Give him an edge. He's a naga warrior for God's sake. He can keep that boyish charm, but make the readers feel like he's also ruthless underneath that. Also Whitney seems to be adapt too quickly to naga culture. Her entire existence has just been turned around."

"Some people do adapt quicker than others, Vivy. I tried to convey that with Whitney. Not everyone has trouble assimilating to new experiences. There are people who embrace it," Jesse pointed out arguing with an edge in her voice. "Whitney is known to take risks. That's why I give her hobbies like rock climbing, white water rafting…. And the fact she's studied overseas for a couple years prior to the story. She's used to new situations constantly popping up. Plus if Lokesh is supposed to be her soul mate…. Shouldn't she feel at ease around him? There are readers out there who are sick and tired of the whole cliché "bad boy" tough guy, "I'm a dick" male hero. And Lokesh can be a good guy while being a fierce warrior…"

"You need to show more of that, Jesse. And those readers are only an minority in the vase fan base who read paranormal romances. The story needs a darker edge. Have Whitney witness Lokesh's ferocity when he rescues her from the enemy camp. Have her become conflicted with that image over the one she's come to known weeks prior. Also if you're going to portray an intense hatred between two rival naga clans, give more a of in depth history for it. The explanation supplied in the book is only giving more glimpses of this supposed deep rooted conflict like in the last book. This series is supposed to be three books long, remember, Jess. It's time to start pulling back the curtain more so the reader can understand it."

Jesse inwardly groaned. Vivy was reading her the riot act! Was her book that much of a major snooze fest and poorly written? "Fine. Fine. I get it. I get it," she said finally. "It's need to be rewritten, like major time. I'll reconstruct the characters, give Lokesh a deeper intensity since he's a warrior type character and go further into the whole rivalry between the Golden Eye Tribe and the Red Mountain Tribe."

"Good. Also make sure to watch out for type-oes as usual. You have a bad habit of overlooking them during proof reading. Especially with your little habit of getting too engulfed in what you're writing. Proof reading is important before you send in your manuscript again," Vivy reminded her firmly.

"Right. Right," Jesse said. Man, didn't she feel small now? God, she needed to stay on top of her writing and keep an critical eye out for mistakes before she turned version two in for review. "I'll keep that in mind."

"I'm sending you the old manuscript and the notes, so you can have it on a hand for the rewrite," Vivy said. "I'll give you a ring on July 1 to check-up on how the rewrite is doing. Till then, Jesse."

Jesse sighed in dismay as Vivy hung up. She pulled the scrunchie out of her hair and ran her hands through in it in frustration. Great…. Just freaking great….

Well, it's not like she didn't expect Vivy wanting her to do a rewrite. It was apart of being an author after all, but still that didn't it make any less of a pain in the ass.

Breaking Benjamin blared from the speakers as Jesse focused on redoing her notes for _Slithering Embrace_. She jotted down the things Vivy told her to fix. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as she worked. So much to change…. How was she going to work these changes into the story and keep it cohesive?

She really didn't want to change Lokesh's character too much. Personally, she thought the whole aspect that he was good guy, who treated others with respect, and was a strong warrior made him different from a lot male heroes in the paranormal romance.

"Why does there have to be a status quote to live up to? What's wrong with the main male lead being a caring thoughtful guy anyway? The bad boy archetype is so over done and doesn't hold water in the real world," Jesse muttered, talking to herself. Considering her own experience, an nice all around good guy was a rare jewel to find. Shouldn't a relationship where things flow and are filled with kindness and respect make for good storytelling or it is just too easy?

"Well, nothing is easy in life and in all relationships all couples fight. It's unavoidable, but it shouldn't be a constant struggle and center of tension. The relationship would break apart eventually," Jesse reasoned.

"Why are you talking to yourself?" Sasuke inquired.

Jesse let out a yelp and jumped. "Son of a-?!" She whirled around to glare at him. "Do you fucking mind? You nearly gave me a freaking heart attack!"

He repeated his question. "Do you always talk to yourself?"

"Everyone talks to themselves, Sasuke. You probably even do it too and it just doesn't register," Jesse pointed out irritated as she turned back to her notes. "Now, is there a good reason why you decided to scare the crap out of me?"

"It's almost eight. You need to start fixing dinner," he replied.

"If you're hungry… Go make a sandwich. I'm busy."

"An sandwich is hardly a meal," Sasuke retorted as he came over to peer down at her notes curiously. "You need a break. Eating late isn't good for the body. It'll make you gain unnecessary weight. "

"Scrounge yourself up something then. I'm working," Jesse said. "I'm not your freaking wife."

He picked out one of her notebooks and start flipping through it. "What kind of books you do write? Romance novels?"

"Paranormal romance exactly."

"Paranormal romance? Huh. What does that cover?"

"Paranormal romance is actually a darker genre of romance. And yes it does deal with the paranormal like spirits or demons or vampires or werewolves or any other kind of creature that would fall under that category. Usually the main heroine is a human who finds herself the soul male to an paranormal male. Most popular hero types in these types of stories are usually vampires, werewolves, some times even faeries or gargoyles…. It depends on what kind of creatures you're dealing with… and well, it's following the usually guidelines for romances but with a darker twist. Paranormal romance involves life or death situations and a good douse of violence and gore," Jesse explained.

"And what's your series about?"

"Nagas."

"Nagas? Wouldn't that be considered bestiality?"

"Well, considering nagas are also part human…. Not really. Anyway, I write mostly harlequin books."

He gave her a look.

"Harlequin…. Smut… Sex… Soft porn basically."

Sasuke smirked. "So you're one of those writers? Who knew the girl who doesn't date likes to write about sex."

"Nothing wrong with it."

"You are weird."

"Yep and I see no reason to change that."

Jesse was a strange one. Sasuke found it amusing that despite her claiming not to be interested in dating at the moment, she still wrote romance novels. It was very contradicting, but then again, he was starting to learn Jesse housed a lot of double-edge swords in her arsenal.

He flipped through the notebook in his hands. Her hand writing to him was unusual. Elegant and fancy. He personally never seen calligraphy like it, but for some reason it suited her.

"You can work on your book later. Go fix dinner," Sasuke told her, placing his hand on the back of the chair she was sitting in. He was hungry and he needed a serious shower.

"Go fix it yourself!"

Nonetheless Sasuke found himself boiling water for rice. It wasn't like he didn't know how to fend for himself. He had to when he lived back in Konoha during his genin days, but it was troublesome to make his own meal now when there was someone who knew how to prepare food just as well in the other room.

She's a stubborn woman, he thought. Maybe he could use this as an opportunity to get on better grounds with her. He was supposed to be winning her over...

The meal wasn't anything special. Boil-in-a-bag rice with mixed frozen vegetables and scrambled eggs. He set a plate down next to Jesse while she worked at her computer.

"Uh… What's this?" she asked eyeing the plate.

"Dinner," he answered.

"Scrambled eggs with rice and vegetables." She snickered as she took the plate. "Wow, aren't you chef Boyardee?"

She was laughing at his cooking skills. "Then you fix dinner next time."

"Right. Right. Thanks by the way," Jesse told him with a grin. "It's the thought that counts."


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Happy Holidays everyone! Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukah! Whatever holiday you celebrate this time of year, I hope it's a awesome one filled with gifts, family, and love and cheer!

Chapter Twenty

Visiting Friends

Knock.

Knock.

"Hey Jess!" Rachael greeted Jesse at the door.

During lunch hour Jesse had sent an quick text to Rachael saying she was going to pop over for a visit later.

The Stone family lived near down town Eerie, in a lower finical neighborhood. A lot of the houses were going downhill. Faded and chipped paint, broken stoops, cluttered yards, while people who did look not the friendliest or well off stood out on the sidewalks next to sports cars and rusted out trucks. There was a crack house down the street on the corner, and the house across from the Stones was a frat house.

The house Rachael shared with May and her mom was one of the nicer houses in the neighborhood. Mostly because Rachael and May recently mowed the grass and took care of the bushes in the front of the two story faded grey-blue color house with its chipped white outline and moss covered shingles. The inside was homey with olive and sage green leaf wallpaper that made up the entrance hallway and the small kitchen with off-white counters and light cream colored linoleum floors and honey colored cabinets.

"I brought carrot cake and get-well flowers," Jesse announced, carefully balancing the plastic see-through box with the bakery made cake with orange and green flowers piped on it in royal icing. The get-well flowers were yellow and white daisies arranged in a basket with pansies.

"Seriously, Jess. You didn't have to," Rachael told her friend with a smile of appreciation. "Thanks. Mom is going to love the flowers. Come on, she's in the living room."

One foot in the kitchen as Jesse was assaulted by tiny grey kitten with bright olive yellow eyes. "Oh? Did you guys get another cat?"

She set down the cake on the table to pick up the kitten. "Why hello there little sweetheart. And what might be your name, you little cutie?" She began cooing over the kitten.

"That's Carmen. May found her out in the backyard two days ago, so we took her in," Rachael explained as a large reddish-brown heavy hitter of a cat, an Main coon, jumped on the table and began inspecting the cake. "What is that? Huh Tiger? What is it?"

The Maine coon known as Tiger uttered an chirping meow and rubbed the edge of his mouth along the plastic box claiming it as his. Rachael gave him an scratched behind the ears before showing the way into the living room.

Mrs. Stone was propped up on the maroon recliner dozing off with the Stones' other cat, an ten year old tuxedo named Maggie. The tv was on mute with a rerun of _Supernatural_ on.

Mrs. Stone was a heavy set woman with a extremely pale and tired complexion. Throughout Rachael's and May's entire lives, their mother worked two to three jobs at a time so she could raise them and their older sister Becca as a single parent. Thanks to her broken hip she had just applied for unemployment and Medicare, but wouldn't end up seeing any of it till a couple weeks down the road. Her most recent job was at a plastic factory. She had been there a total of two months before she broke her hip…. Really bad timing.

"Is your mom awake? If this a bad time… I can always drop by another time," Jesse said quietly when she saw Mrs. Stone was on the verge of falling asleep in the recliner. Poor woman…

"Nyah… It's okay. She's just really tired from everything that's been happening. How about we go upstairs and talk and hangout?" Rachael suggested.

Jesse followed Rachael towards the stairway hidden in the corner of the living room. The olive and sage green wallpaper decorated the walls throughout most of the house, even upstairs. The carpet underneath their feet was worn and faded from years of use, while the stairs creaked under foot as they headed for the bedroom Rachael and May shared together.

Inside the walls were a nice calming ocean green and were cluttered with _National Geographic_ pictures May had cut out from a magazine, along with a abstract painting or two. Both beds sat opposite one another across the room with an desk and computer dividing it. One bed had silver and dark blue blankets with starburst patterns, while the other had a lavender and sage green fleece blankets over lavender sheets.

Rachael's bed was the one with the lavender and sage green color scheme. She sat down as Jesse pulled out the rolling chair from the desk and took a seat.

"So… How's it going between you and Mr. Emo Avenger?" Rachael inquired sitting crossed legged.

"Well…." Jesse wasn't sure how or where to begin. "Things are getting awkward…. Especially since the kiss. I think Uchiha needs to vent some sexual frustration if you get my drift."

"Well, he's got a hand," Rachael said with a huff. "You sure as hell don't need to be his bitch."

"I'm not saying that, Rach," Jesse cut her off before she really jumped the gun. "I'm just saying. The sexual tension in the house is so evident. I mean… I can literally feel the way he stares at me when I have my back turned."

"That's…just creepy. You have set up personal boundaries right? So Mr. Emo Avenger doesn't get any ideas he shouldn't?" Rachael replied now concerned. She really hoped Jesse wasn't going to fall for any kind of ploy Sasuke might cook up to get into her pants. She really didn't want to see her best friend get hurt by the world's biggest anime creep.

Jesse looked off to the side in thought. "Well…. Yeah. I told him that I wasn't interested in pursuing any type of relationships right now. I mean, for the first time in my life I'm comfortable with being single and finally focusing on my goals. I mean _Slithering Embrace_ is due to be published by December or supposed to anyway… Now with the fact my editor rejected the first script… Apparently…. I need to work on the romantic tension between Whitney and Lokesh… It's too mushy for the paranormal genre…"

"You need a different editor, Jess. That woman is a B.I.T.C.H. big time," Rachael replied. "May and I personally liked how the first script turned out. It portrays true love in a positive, more simplistic light. Not the cliché shit you read all the time in those stupid dime store smut novels. It's give the story flavor."

"Not according to Vivy, it doesn't. The book won't sell according to her," Jesse pointed out peevishly. She sighed. "Anyway… How's everything going with you?"

"Well…. Mr. Patterson had me teach yesterday's lesson. It wasn't too bad. There were some kids who like to make wise cracks and rather text during class. I had to confiscate a phone yesterday and you should have seen how devastated the student looked! I told her 'If you love your phone that much. Leave it in your locker so this doesn't happen.' I like my phone as much as the next person, but seriously, you don't have to be attach to the fucking thing twenty-four seven. Anyway, Mr. Patterson is really nice and very up-beat in class. He likes to joke around and pick on the students. It's fun to watch," Rachael said a light blush creeping into her face.

Rachael thought on how close in age her and Mr. Jeremy Patterson were. He was only twenty-seven and a very handsome specimen. Blonde hair with sandy brown highlights. He wore his hair a little longer than most guys. It touched his cheekbones. He was fairly fit too, but he didn't seem pretentious. He was a very down to Earth guy.

Jesse took one look at Rachael and instinctively knew there was something being left unsaid in the air. "Ooohhh…. Growing a little infatuated with Mr. Patterson are we?" she inquired in teasing tone.

Rachael's face reddened at being caught. She smiled sheepishly and absently twirled a lock of her hair. "Maybe. He's so nice, Jess. And we both like hiking and…. Teaching kids and… and well, he also likes the same type of music too. He had me listen to one of his favorite songs."

Jesse smile widened. "Yeah. I definitely say you're a little smitten there, girlie. Well, maybe once your time at Celeborn is done, you should totally ask Mr. Hot Teacher out."

"I don't know if I can. I mean, he's so… good looking and then there's me. I'm not pretty and I'm not in shape."

"So? There are guys who like big girls."

"But not guys like him."

"Dude, have ever you look around you while you freaking drive through Eerie?! I see plenty of skinny guys holding hands with big girls. That's just a social media talking. Reality begs to differ."

"Still… I don't even know if he's single or not," Rachael continued to argue. She sighed bitterly. "I mean it, Jess. Jeremy is way out of my league."

"That's your self esteem talking, girlie," Jesse reminded her with a dismay. "You are stunning. You got a figure! You got hips skinny girls envy! Those hips are made for baby making!"

Rachael laughed. "You and your way of wording things, Jess, but seriously… I am not ever going to have kids," she said. "I'm not a baby person. I mean, after all my time spent student-teaching middle school students for two months straight and working at Splash Lagoon, I don't think I ever want kids."

"You never know, Rachael. Things do change," Jesse told her.

"Yeah and one day your Emo Avenger crush is going to wake up and transform into Prince Charming," Rachael shot back.

Jesse had to laugh and agree. "Yeah. Okay. I get your point, but you need to have more faith in yourself. You'll find Mr. Right. It's all about timing and who knows maybe once you get up the courage to ask Mr. Patterson out, things might turn out awesome. You never know."

"Jesse, I've never dated in my entire life. I don't have the experience like you do," Rachael replied. She looked off to the side. "Anyway, I got a text from Chad this morning. He wants to know what night is going to work for bowling."

Jesse perked up at the mention of their monthly tradition. Once a month Jesse, Rachael, and May would meet up with their friends for a night of bowling and bar-hopping. She smirked. "Well, you know as long as its either Friday or Saturday, I'm down."

"Well, Chad is going to be picking up May for me tonight anyway. Since someone has to be home with mom. We can wait for him and May and decide then."

"Sounds good. Sasuke usually doesn't get home till almost eight anyway," Jesse said, checking her phone for the time. "I left the boy a note on the fridge, so hopefully he'll see it when he gets in and not end up waiting on me to make him dinner."

"What does that guy take you for? His personal maid?" Rachael asked with an snort. She folded her arms in front of her chest in indignant. "He's a big boy. He can fend for himself."

"Yeah. I know," Jesse replied with a laugh. "It's cute though in a weird way that he's come to depend on me for making meals. Two nights ago I made him go make dinner while I worked on my book. He ended up making eggs, rice, and vegetables. It was pretty funny."

Rachael gave Jesse an look. Did she just call Sasuke 'cute'?! "Jesse, why do I get the feeling you're actually starting to like having him around?"

"Well…. We live in the same house."

"Do I have to remind you the only reason why he's there is to break your heart so he can get his powers back?" Rachael pointed out harshly.

Jesse sighed, remembering that tiny fact about the whole deal between Sasuke and the goddess. She pulled her hair out of its bun and ran her fingers through her locks to brush it out. "Yeah. I know. It's not going to be easy keeping him at bay, especially how dire his situation is."

Sasuke came back to an empty house and an note on the refrigerator:

Hey Sasuke,

I'm heading over to May and Rachael's after work to see how their mom is doing and catch up. Probably won't be home till late. Have fun makin' dinner for yourself!

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the last part. Jesse's sense of humor was something he was starting to find amusing, if not a bit on the irritating side. She made fun of everything. Always had a joke for something and sarcastic as they came.

He reread the note amused. She certainly was a strange one.

An low meow at his feet turned his attention to the jungle cat. Surri blinked her large eyes at him, trying her kitten best to convey what she wanted from him. He put the note back and knelt down next to her and gave her a scratch behind the ear. The cat respond by chewing on his hand.

He gave the cat a look. She continued to chew on him, wrapping her little paws around his wrist and began kicking at his arm. "Enough."

He pried his arm away from the jungle cat, her claws sinking into his arm leaving angry pink lines. She persisted. Perhaps she was hungry. He didn't know how long its been since Jesse fed her. He went to find the cat food, the Bengal chasing his ankles. She wrapped herself around his leg as he found it.

"You're a little shit tonight," he muttered as he tried to shake her off. He went to grab her food dish and found it half full. He looked at the spry cat. "You have food."

He began walking away. Surri was having none of it. She attacked his heels as he walked to his room. It was both annoying and endearing. Apparently, the cat had taken a real liking to him. She would sneak into his room when he wasn't looking and be found sleeping on one of the bed's pillows, or be scratching at his door in the middle of the night wanting in.

He never had a pet before. Not even when his parents were alive. He remember when he use to beg his mother for one constantly, because he was too intimidated to ask his father. He even went as far as to sneak in an stray cat he found once while out following after Itachi when he was four. He always had a thing for cats. They were easy to look after and were only sought attention when they saw fit.

He went to take a shower and then climbed into bed. He needed to figure out his next move. Gaining Jesse's affections were now his primary objective, but how was he going to break down her barriers and get her to fall in love with him?

He mentally went over the list he discovered so far about Jesse Wilds. She loved her cat. She was determined to establish a career as an writer. She had two over protective best friends. She liked to hunt and garden. She guarded her heart because she had been disappointed and hurt in the past by other guys. She was physically attracted to him and had trouble resisting him physically, but she always retreated at some point. She knew about his history and his personality and how he treated others, which was a challenge within itself.

How do you convince a girl like that? Sasuke pondered. He felt Surri crawl onto his chest. She meowed at him and circled around a couple times before settling down. He petted her as he silently plotted.

She certainly knows me well enough which is a problem, Sasuke brooded. How can I get her to think that I'm not that bad of a guy? I need her to fall for me… There's really no other option. It would be better if she wasn't so sharp, but then again… It wouldn't be so interesting…

The thought stopped his thought process. Sasuke's eyes widened. Was he actually enjoying this? Was he actually beginning to like Jesse?

An smirked formed on his lips. She was different than other girls he met along the way. Different could work. Different could be just what he needed.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I do not own Sasuke Uchiha. He belongs to Kishimoto and the manga/anime of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. I am simply borrowing him for my own twisted amusement.

A/N: Alright…. The first update for the beginning of a new year. Sorry it took so long, but I've been sort of busy with work and working on new ideas for potential fanfictions. So thank you to **Crazysupernaturalangel**. I'm glad you're enjoying the story.^^

The updates for this story aren't going to be as frequent as they use to be probably for a long while, but when I get an chapter or two written, I'll make sure to post them. Thank you all for loving this story. You guys are awesome!

Chapter Twenty-One

Bowling Night

Part I

"~ When Romes in ruins

We are the loins

Free of the coliseum

In poisoned places

We are the anit-venom

We're the beginning of the end

"~Tonight

The foxes hunt the hounds

Its all over now

Before it has begun

And we've already won~"

Sasuke could hear Jesse's slightly off tune singing even before he opened the door. The smell of some kind of stew greeted him as he stepped into the pantry.

"~We are wild

We are like young volcanoes

We are wild

Americana exotica

Do you wanna feel a little beautiful, baby? Yeah~

"Come on make it easy

Say I never mattered

Run it up the flagpole

We will teach you

How to make

Boys next door

Out of assholes~"

The song was familiar. Like one out of several Jesse repeatedly played on her computer when she was writing. She was stirring a pot on the stove when he walked into the kitchen. Her hips shaking as she sang.

"Tonight

The foxes hunt the hounds

It's over all now

Before it has begun

And we've already won~"

"What are you singing?" he finally answered after standing there observing for a long moment. His eyes kept drifting back to her ass. An sudden impulse to grab it filled him.

"Young Volcanoes by Fall Out Boy," Jesse responded. She turned to him and made an gesture with the spoon she was using. "Beef stew. Hope you're hungry."

She went back to stirring. His eyes lingered on her ass. Maybe he should tease her before taking an shower. He snuck up behind her. His hand moving into position before grabbing an handful.

"Da fuck?!" Jesse let out an surprise shriek. She whirled around finding herself cornered yet again. "Might explaining why you felt the need to do that?!"

"It better be ready by the time I get out," Sasuke said with a smirked before backing off and heading for the bathroom, leaving Jesse standing there flustered.

Her heart thumped loudly in her chest as she gripped the spoon. He just grabbed her ass. Sasuke Uchiha just grabbed her fucking ass!

Jesse huffed underneath her breath. "Really Uchiha?"

The worst part of it the was fact the move kind of turned her on. Why did her ass have to so damn sensitive? She was seriously going to need another session with B.O.B.

The matter only seemed to worsen fifteen minutes later when he came back into the kitchen. The stupid jerk wasn't wearing a shirt.

"Seriously?" Jesse said giving him an look that said clearly she wasn't stupid and was onto his little plan. She struggled to keep her gaze collarbone high. She was not going to be caught staring at his muscles, drooling like a idiot. Freaking bastard!

He smirked. "You're staring."

"Well, you're the one strutting around like a freaking model on the runway. Put the guns away already, cowboy. You ain't getting any from this cowgirl," she shot back turning back to checking the flavor of the stew. It was almost done. Just another five minutes to cook.

She stiffened as Sasuke snaked his arms around her waist. His fingertips playing with the hem of her shirt. "Is it done?" he asked. His hands slipped underneath her shirt.

"Hey! Get your hands out of there! Damn! You horny or what?" She snapped peevishly. The way his body was pressed against her was making things go tight and sore inside her core. God, was her body really that in need that an mere touch got her going?!

"After dinner," Sasuke muttered into her ear. "I'm going to fuck you."

An heated blush blossomed across her cheeks. She scoffed, pretending the idea didn't excite her. She was more turned on the by the second. "Do you take rain checks? I got a date after dinner," she said quickly.

And just like that the mood was gone. Immediately her arousal receded. Sasuke backed off, the heat disappearing from his eyes as Jesse turned to him with an triumphant smirk.

"What do you mean 'date'?" he demanded coldly. He was clearly not happy with the news.

"Oh don't be like that, Sasuke sweetie," Jesse cooed sarcastically and put her hands on her hips. An cocky grin spread across her lips. "I'm not going on an legit date. It's just a monthly tradition my friends and I have."

Jesse walked passed him with sway to her hips, blue ceramic full of beef stew. She picked up an couple slices of Tuscan garlic bread and buttered them. "Tonight's bowling night. Rachael, May, and I are going to be meeting up with a few friends from college. We're going to Murry's, bowl for a couple of hours and go out and do some bar-hopping."

He followed her example. "When do we leave?"

"We? There is no 'we', Sasuke. You're staying home," Jesse declared with a eye roll. She sat down at the table. "Legal drinking age in this country is twenty-one and you're only eighteen, barely legal to go into a bar."

"Since when did I say I was going to be drinking with you and your friends?" Sasuke retorted. His voice held an note of annoyance. He sat down across from her. "The best way for me to experience this world would be to include myself in the things you do. After all, I am supposed to change for the better and you're supposed to be my guide. How can I do if I don't come along?"

Jesse looked at him in surprise. Was he joking?! He actually wanted to join her and her friends on a night-out on the town?! What the hell?!

"Whoa. Whoa. Who the heck said you're going along?" Rachael demanded later on as Jesse and Sasuke climbed into the Stone sister's car.

Sasuke ignored her as he buckled in. Rachael turned her gaze to Jesse who sighed. "He insisted."

"We are not baby-sitting, Jess. You," Rachael pointed to Sasuke and then out the door. "Out. Twenty and above only, Uchiha."

Sasuke looked to Rachael. "I'm participating. If I'm supposed to experience all this world has to offer so I can change for the better joining you on your night on the town is a good place to start."

Rachael gave him a good hard look. "Don't think I don't where this is going. You're hoping to get into my best friend's pants when she's good and drunk. Don't think I don't know how guys like you think, dick weed, so out. Take your issues and get out of my fucking car."

Sasuke didn't flinch under the unfriendly glare she was giving him. "I want to earn Jesse's trust. I won't take advantage of her when she's incapable of making a sober decision."

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" May asked peeking over the back of the passenger's seat in the front. "You haven't exactly left an good impression on Rachael or me."

"And don't forget we already know about your little predicament with that crazy goddess. You got no room to talk big here," Rachael added viciously. She scrutinized his face, suspiciously. She did not trust this jerk as far as she could throw him. She'd rather he just leave the car without having an conniption fit. They were supposed to pick up Wendy after leaving Jesse's house in fifteen minutes. And she was looking forward to a nice awesome night out with friends. Not baby-sit some pompous dick ninja.

"I'm well aware of how you view me. I'm going to change it," Sasuke stated in a matter of fact tone. He wasn't budging much to Rachael's chagrin.

"Let him tag along, Rach," Jesse replied with a sigh.

Rachael couldn't believe her ears. Jesse was actually siding with him?! After all that happened?! "Jesse, why are you… Why would you-?"

Jesse sighed again. "I know we all got off to a rocky start here. I think maybe having him tag along and get introduce to new situations will help change his tune. Plus if I don't involve him you can bet your panties that damn goddess will more than likely show her face again and fuck with us some more."

May shuddered at the thought of Benzaiten paying them all another visit. "Maybe… She's got a point, Rachael," she whispered nervously. "We don't want to piss off an powerful deity. I mean, she did threaten you remember? I think… we should just let Sasuke come along."

Rachael remained stubbornly quietly, her minding working. Damn if they do and damn if they don't. She huffed. "Fine. You can come along, but I'm watching you, Uchiha. You fuck up even once, and not even you are beyond the law of reproach in my book, got it?"

Sasuke didn't respond. He turned his gaze towards the side as Rachael begrudgingly turned around in her seat and put the car into reverse.

"Hey… H-How about we put in some Taylor Swift on the way to Wendy's?" May suggested after a long tense silence. Anything to stop herself from suffocating from the icy freeze of dislike emitting from her sister and the emo ninja in the backseat. She rummaged through the compartment underneath the armrest between the front seats to find 1989 CD case. She popped the case open, took out the CD and slide it in.

"Walking through a crowd

The village is aglow

Kaleidoscope of loud

Heartbeats under coats

Everybody here

Wanted something more

Searching for a sound

We hadn't heard before

And it said…

"Welcome to New York

It's been waiting for you

Welcome to New York

Welcome to New York

Welcome to New York

It's been waiting for you

Welcome to New York

Welcome to New York."

Despite the upbeat bouncing rhythm the tension in the air remained.

The drive from Jesse's to the Chinese restaurant Wendy Wong's family owned took fifteen minutes. It was a basic white one story storefront with a red and green and yellow painted sign, in a crowded plaza stationed in between an Walgreen's and Family Dollar. It was the typical Chinese restaurant serving General Tso's chicken, Wonton soup, pork fried rice, the usual.

Rachael turned off the car and climbed out. "I'll be right back," she said in a stiff voice. The car door slammed shut and everyone watched her go into the restaurant.

The awkward tension in the car remained. The quiet inside suffocating for May, who slouched lower in her seat worried that the night was only going to get worse once their group of friends were introduced to Sasuke. She folded her arms across her chest protectively as images of what kind of disaster lied in wait danced through her head.

Jesse unbuckled her belt and slide over in the seat, making room for the new addition.

Sasuke felt her arm brush up against his. He turned to give her a look. "What are you doing?"

"Making room, numb nuts," Jesse responded in a flat tone. She folded her arms underneath her breasts, dread settling in. She had no idea how Wendy's first interaction was going to go with Sasuke. Who knows… Wendy might find his frank personality an turn on, or it might cause major friction between them considering Wendy's own in your face personality. For Wendy it'd be was her way or the highway.

The sound of the back door and front driver's side opening at the same time, alerted Jesse that Rachael was back with Wendy. She tensed. Here it comes.

"Hey… Wendy," Jesse greeted with a slight wave as Wendy climbed in and buckled herself in.

"Hey Jess," Wendy replied. She paused. Her dark eyes took in Sasuke's profile next to Jesse. "So… Jess, how's it going having an new roommate?"

Jesse wasn't liking the way Wendy was eyeing Sasuke. Sure, Sasuke was eye candy for any girl. He was drop dead gorgeous after all. So why did it bother her so much if Wendy found Sasuke attractive or not? She hesitantly twirled a strand of hair. "It's going good. Sasuke's settling right in, right Sasuke?"

Sasuke glanced at Jesse. "Yeah. It's going relatively well."

Wendy blushed as his gaze went to her. "So… Are you a first generation American or were you born over in Japan before your parents moved to the states?"

"I was born in San Diego," he stated.

"So…. I bet being from such an high action city is totally different from here," Wendy stated with a flirty smile aimed his way. Her eyes studied him with bright and obvious curiosity. "Both my parents are originally from China. My older brother has an duel citizenship. I was born in New York City and spent my first five years there before my parents and my brother and I moved to Eerie. Has Jesse given you the grand tour of Eerie yet? It's relatively small compared to an city like San Diego and all."

Sasuke didn't say anything. His arm brushed against Jesse in a subtle way as Wendy chatted.

"Jesse, you and I should get together some time and give Sasuke a tour of Eerie. Oo! We should so take him to Waldameer," Wendy went on enthusiastically.

"So you ready for bowling night, Wendy?" Rachael said cutting in.

"Duh. Of course!" Wendy said in a sing-song voice. "Hey want to hit the Cornerstone afterwards."

"Yeah. I'm craving pizza!" May spoke up, her mood raising to chipper again. "Hey we should hit Sherlock afterwards."

"Oh, I love Sherlocks. Do you think there will be any good bands playing there?" Rachael wanted to know eager to get the night started once the conversation went in a favorable direction.

"We'll have to see when we get there. Hey have long has Chad and Jeremy been going out anyway? Didn't they celebrate their six month not too long ago?" Wendy inquired.

"I think so," Rachael replied.

"It was two weeks ago exactly. Jeremy took Chad to Sherlocks. That one picture of them on Facebook with the mardi gras beats was so cute!" May declared.

"They do make a cute couple. I'm glad Chad found someone like Jeremy. He deserves him," Rachael agreed.

The crowds at Murry's consisted of old men, college students, and the occasional kid's birthday party. The crowds were sparse tonight. Mostly older men ranging from the ages of mid-forties to sixty something. Most were sitting on their asses on the plastic benches on the floor, drinking cheap booze, egging on their buddies. Televisions hung from the low ceilings, showing the scores of the groups participating.

"This is bowling?" Sasuke asked as the guy behind the counter handed out ugly red and white shoes.

"Yep. Pretty much," Jesse said as they headed over to an empty table that was positioned near the far right side of the bowling alley. She placed her purse on the stark white table with a empty napkin dispenser on it. She looked around. "Looks like we beat the boys here."

"Jeremy should be sending me an quick text once he and Chad and Bobby arrive," Rachael said as she put on the shoes and carefully tied the shoes laces. "Have you ever wanted to just bring an can of aerosol and stray the crap out of these things? Just think how many nasty feet have been in them!"

May made an gagging sound. "Yick."

"Talk about an easy way to get athlete's foot," Jesse said with a roll of her eyes and an smirk. "How do the shoes fit, Sasuke?"

"They're funky," he answered.

"They're supposed to be. They're bowling shoes," Jesse replied.

"So what did you do for fun in San Diego?" Wendy wanted to know, while they waited on the boys. Rachael was busying herself with filling out score cards. May took out her phone to check the stats on her deviant art account.

"I didn't have… much time for hanging out with friends," Sasuke said. "I spent a lot of time training."

"Training? Training in what?"

"Martial Arts."

"Oh!~ So do you take part in tournaments? How long have you been practicing martial arts?" Wendy wanted to know eagerly. "Are you like an black belt?"

"I've been training all my life and my studies focused on taijutsu," Sasuke said in a bore tone.

"Taijutsu? Now what does that consist of basically? Like is it different from karate and tai chi? If I remember correctly my brother said there were different schools of martial arts. He use to take karate for a while back in elementary school, but my parents pressured him to drop out, because he needed to focus on his studies more. Did your parents encourage it or it was something you were really passionate about as a kid?"

"Taijutsu is hand-to-hand combat. It involves mastering different techniques through disciplining of the body without the use of hand seals," Sasuke explained. "My parents encouraged me to learn it. It's something my entire family excelled in."

"So did you like compete in matches then? Is there an league in San Diego you're apart of?" Wendy continued shooting questions his way.

"Sort of. I haven't been an apart of a team in a long time," Sasuke said, careful how he worded his response, considering his knowledge how this world's taijutsu was practice was extremely limited. "I normally train alone."

"Ah. I see. Well, that's so cool. You'll have to show me some moves sometime."

"No." The whole idea of showing in order to impress others and boost your own ego wasn't foreign to Sasuke. He'd seen Naruto do it many times during their genin days, but for him it was an pointless activity.

Wendy gave him an surprised look. "Huh? Why not?"

Sasuke gave the girl a leveled look. "Showing off is pointless. I don't need to exhibit myself in front of others just to prove an point."

Wendy's eyebrows furrowed. She studied his face. "Okay. That's a good point, but you don't have to so damn rude about it."

Rude? How was he being rude? He just told her the truth.

"If you always bluntly telling others how it is, people get offended. Like real easily. I know certain people who are just like that, so you need to know an better way to decline and still be polite about it," Wendy elaborated with an eye roll. "Trust me. You might think its okay to be blunt, but in this day age a lot of people get their butts hurt easily."

Sasuke never thought about it that way, but in his opinion, those can't accept the truth should just learn to swallow it and step out of his way. People's opinions and feelings meant very little to him. If they didn't like the way he was, it didn't matter to him. Which brought him back to his current predicament. Everyone here at the table who knew the truth of his existence, expected him to put on a front. To be some one he wasn't. To play nice.

He glanced towards Jesse as she rolled her eyes at what Wendy was saying. His role here was playing Prince Charming and wooing her in order to regain his jutsu. All because some high off her rocker goddess didn't like the way he was conducting his life.

"If someone can't handle a simple truth, its their own fault. It doesn't change anything," Sasuke argued.

"Okay. Yes. It doesn't change a short coming or a fact, but that doesn't mean it won't still upset them. People hate having being proven wrong. Trust me. I know," Wendy said, her voice heavy with attitude. "Take for example back when I was in high school. I was always blunt about, like, everything. And some people couldn't handle it."

Jesse shot Wendy a look. She could feel the unsaid jab behind Wendy's words.

"Hey girl friends," Chad declared as he, his boyfriend, Jeremy Cunningham, and Bobby Meyer arrived at the table.

Jesse felt herself breath an sigh of relief. Oh thank god, she thought as Rachael and Chad hugged.

"Hey Jesse," Chad greeted as she and him hugged. He eyed Sasuke sitting at the table. "And who is this fine piece of eye candy?"

Chad was the youngest among the group of friends, being at the age of twenty-one. He worked the same shift as Rachael did back when she took an part time job at the local community college library. They became friends quickly due to his over flamboyant personality and addictive cheery deposition. His complexion was faire like Rachael's and May's, with light freckles dusting his nose and cheeks. His eyes were a sparkling blue-green color set against an round face.

Unlike him Jeremy, his boyfriend, was a dark rustic skinned young man of Native American decent. Jeremy was extremely tall and built. He liked lifting weights and doing laps at the college pool in the mornings before going in to work. Jeremy was apart of the Erie construction crew and also served time as an volunteer fireman, so he was always on call.

"Chad. Jeremy. Bobby. Meet Sasuke Yamoto. He's my new roommate and he's going to be with living for me for a year," Jesse said, introducing the men of the group to the moody rogue ninja.

"Hmmm-hmmm. Which does way he bend? I'm sure Jeremy wouldn't a mind sharing me with a super hottie like him, right babe?" Chad declared with a flourish of a hand, an cheeky grin on his face.

"Chad. You are such a flirt," Jeremy replied with a roll of his eyes and a smirk on his lips. He placed an hand on Chad's hip and offered his free hand in a friendly 'no hard feelings' handshake. "Sorry bout my boyfriend. Chad is over the top gay in every way. Jeremy Cunningham. How do ya like it so far here?"

Sasuke ignored the offered hand. "Yamoto Sasuke," he said curtly. "It's alright. There's been a adjustment period."

"A whole lot different from where you're from, right?" Bobby Meyer said as he finished typing the laces to his funky bowling shoes. Bobby Meyer had an causian father and an African American mother, so his skin was a light mocho color. His hair had an unruly frizzy that poof out from his face, where it stopped around his cheekbones. He was currently taking an year off from school, working full time as an employee at Signal Tech. He was going through an sort of period where he wasn't exactly sure what he wanted from life, so instead of wasting money on getting an degree he wasn't even sure he was going to up end using, he choose to work instead.

"You could say that," Sasuke replied.

"So what's the game plan for tonight?" Bobby inquired, looking to Rachael and then to Jesse. "Are we going to do girls vs. boys like last time or are we going to step it up a knotch?"

"I'd say we do bets on which team is going to win. The loser team has to pool their money to buy drinks for the rest of us for the rest of the night," Chad declared.

"Sasuke's too young to drink," Jesse spoke up.

"For real?" Chad wanted to know, disappointment heavy in his voice. "How old are you darling?"

"I'm not your darling. And I'm eighteen," Sasuke said flatly. He obviously found Chad's feminine nickname insulting.

Bobby let out an low whistle as Chad exclaimed, "Damn girl!"

Chad gave Jesse an raised eyebrow and an sly grin. "I guess, you got no quells in robbing the cradle, huh sweet heart? He's a baby!"

Jesse felt herself grow hot in the face. Great. She gave Chad an playful punch in the arm. "It's not like that, Chad. Jesus. I'm not that kind of gal."

"Uh-huh. Right," Jeremy said with a roll of his eyes, obviously not believing her protests. "So doth protest the lady."

"Don't quote _**Hamlet**_ on me, bubby boy," Jesse retorted. "How about we figure out the teams already and leave my dating life alone for right now?"

"Oh-hoh, so you're not denying it!" Chad crowed.

Wendy looked from Sasuke to Jesse in dismay. "Wait… you two are an item? Really?"

"Damn Jesse!" Bobby declared surprised by the idea that Jesse was dating someone barely out of high school.

Jesse groaned inwardly. Great, this was turning into an big misunderstanding. "We're not dating!"


End file.
